Rafael Nadal has said that he is open to the idea of competing in doubles in the Olympics with Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal has performed admirably while representing Spain globally. He has won two Olympic gold medals over the years and has guided his country to four Davis Cup victories.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are being considered as Nadal’s final appearance at the quadrennial event due to his advancing years and a number of injury issues in the recent past. According to the former world no. 1, he would dearly love to compete in the competition one last time.
Nadal talked recently in an interview: “As for the Games, on a personal level, I would like to play them one more time. Everyone knows that I have always been a lover of Games. I have lived incredible moments of coexistence, of seeing what sport is in its pure essence.”
As a good motivator and purpose to finish this chapter of his legendary career, Nadal is also willing to consider the idea of playing doubles with Alcaraz.
He explained it further and said: “Regarding the fact of playing doubles with Carlos, I have not had the slightest conversation with him in that regard. But I would also like and it would be a good motivation, another incentive for me to be able to close my Olympic cycle playing with Carlos, with everything he is achieving, with the young people, and with the great future he has ahead of him.”
Rafa Nadal hopes to play doubles with Alcaraz at Olympics, but they haven’t talked about it yet:
“Regarding playing doubles with Carlos, I have not had the slightest conversation with him in that regard. But I would also like to. It would be a good motivation, another incentive… pic.twitter.com/H69dGex24t
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 20, 2023
Rafael Nadal in 2023
Currently ranked no.237, Rafael played his last match on the 18th of January when he was overcome by world no.39 Mackenzie Mcdonald 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the 2nd round of the Australian Open (draw).
Until now, during this year Nadal has achieved an overall 1-3 win-loss record.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
WLWLLWLWWW Now the world no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 8th of September when he lost to world no.3 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the semifinal of the U.S. Open (draw).
This season Carlos achieved a compiled 58-7 win-loss record. Alcaraz has won 6 titles in 2023 in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid, London and Wimbledon. The Spaniard was the runner-up in Rio de Janeiro and Cincinnati.
Alcaraz has scheduled to play next in Beijing (China Open). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 28th of September.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz clashed against each other 3 times. Their actual head to head record is 2-1 for Nadal. The last time they played, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-2 1-6 6-3 in the quarter in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) in May 2022.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz |
| Embed from Getty Images |
