The Transition of Dominance: As The King and The Prince, Nadal and Alcaraz tease Olympics doubles run
After competing against one another in Madrid in 2022, Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are thinking of competing in doubles at the Olympics in Paris.By ATP Employees
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have hinted at the prospect of competing in doubles at the Olympics in Paris.
The two-time Olympic gold winner Rafael Nadal hinted at the possibility of an electrifying match between him and his fellow former World No. 1 on Friday during an appearance on IGUALES, the official podcast of the Mutua Madrid Open.
A wary Alcaraz had confessed hours earlier that he was anxious to speak with Nadal about sharing the court when he made his Olympic debut in late July. Nadal, though, moved quickly to ease any worries the 20-year-old might have had.
“[Carlos] doesn’t have to ask me anything, all right, we’ll play,” Nadal declared in a statement, making it known that he was willing to work with the Murcian. For me, it’s also quite exhilarating. I’ve heard that it’s for him as well, if I’m not wrong. Thus, it would be ideal to participate in a few matches before to the Olympics in order to warm up and establish some camaraderie on the court.
Alcaraz has relatively little doubles experience, so he will need to get used to having a partner by his side on the court. The former Wimbledon and US Open champion has only participated in nine team matches during his professional career, with none of those matches occurring in the last two years.
“I mean, why not if we’re both sufficiently fit? Nadal stated, “We might have the opportunity to build a fantastic team and aim for great things. It would benefit both of us. I believe it would benefit the Spanish team as well, but we’ll have to wait and see. While I’m sure he will be for me, I hope to be good enough to be a decent partner for him. See where that gets us, we’ll see. Additionally, I hope we can collaborate a little at the beginning.
Rafael Nadal is one of the most seasoned athletes competing in the Olympics. The only player still competing who has won a gold medal in both singles and doubles is the Mallorcan. Shortly before reaching the top of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time, the Spaniard won gold in the singles event in Beijing in 2008. Later, in Rio 2016, Nadal and his close buddy Marc Lopez will climb to the top of the podium to complete their set.
