Carlos Alcaraz received an extraordinary honor before his singles match at the Olympics as American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn performed the “Les Trois Coups”. This age-old mark of respect, typically reserved for significant cultural or sporting events in France, signifies the commencement of a grand spectacle.
Vonn’s involvement in this ritual highlights the immense respect and recognition Alcaraz has garnered within the sporting community. She posted on Instagram explaining the importance of this tradition and highlighting what it meant to her to perform it.
Les Trois Coups, or “the three blows,” is a traditional ceremony performed with a small hammer. It symbolizes the announcement of the beginning of an event. Historically, this honor has been reserved for only a few elite athletes and occasions, making it a rare and significant tribute.
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Previous recipients of this honor in the modern era include legends like Zinedine Zidane and Roger Federer.
Billie Jean King performed this ceremony for Nadal-Alcaraz’s first doubles match on the Philippe-Chatrier. Having received this honor twice in the same event is a very significant moment for any athlete.
She made a post on social media after his 2024 French Open win, congratulating him for his victory.
Carlos Alcaraz has another fan in Lindsay Vonn after the Spaniard got to experience a French sporting music piece from here at the Olympics! pic.twitter.com/HRApKfjvfH
— Wide World of Tennis (@tennisfan_dkr) July 31, 2024
Lindsey Vonn, an Olympic skiing champion herself, has been vocal about her admiration for tennis. In past interviews, Vonn has praised Roger Federer immensely and he is her clear favorite.
Alcaraz’s Upcoming Matches
Carlos Alcaraz, currently one of the brightest stars in tennis, is poised for a series of challenging matches at the Olympics, both, in doubles alongside Nadal, and singles.
His next match will be against the Russian player, Roman Safiullin. His doubles match is scheduled for today against Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek of Team USA.
These back-to-back matches could be very exhausting for him. However, winning these matches would mean being one step closer to winning an Olympic medal, one of the firsts for Alcaraz in his already incredible career.
