Lebanon's Hady Habib returns to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their men's singles first round tennis match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at the Roland-Garros Stadium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on July 27, 2024. (Credit: Martin Bernett/AFP)
The first Lebanese to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, tennis player Hady Habib, lost 6-3, 6-1 to Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of the Olympic tennis tournament at Roland-Garros on Saturday.
Under the roof of the Suzanne Lenglen stadium, Habib, ranked 259th in the world, didn't disappoint against the Spaniard, who is ranked No. 3 in the ATP rankings and won the Paris Grand Slam last June. A last-minute guest in the singles draw, the 1.88-meter-tall Lebanese forced his opponent into action, particularly with his serve.
But after winning three of his service games in fine style, and twice earning break points from Alcaraz's serve, Habib fell victim to Rafael Nadal's worthy heir (Nadal will play his first round match on Monday), who, as usual, produced a number of spectacular shots.
But the adventure doesn't end there for the Lebanese, who will be playing doubles alongside his compatriot Benjamin Hassan. The latter is due to take the court tomorrow against American Christopher Eubanks, his first round match having been postponed due to the driving rain that continues to lash the French capital.
This article was originally published in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.
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