Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, who represent two generations of Spanish tennis, have been chosen to represent their country in doubles at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris next month.
The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation announced this on Wednesday, three days after Alcaraz won his first French Open title at Roland Garros.
Nadal, 38, was also chosen to represent Spain in singles.
This is likely Nadal’s last year on the tour, and certainly his last Olympics. He made his first Olympic appearance in 2004, won gold in singles in 2008 and won gold in doubles in 2016, while finishing fourth in singles. Over the past year he has said several times that he would really like to participate in the Olympic Games, because they will be held in Paris on his favorite courts: the red clay of Roland Garros, where he has won no fewer than fourteen titles. At this year’s French Open, Nadal fell to Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
There is no one better to work with him than the 21-year-old Alcaraz, who won his third Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last weekend. He is Nadal’s heir apparent, not just as the prince of clay, but as a Spanish tennis star ready to take over the entire tennis world. He makes his Olympic debut in Paris.
With Nadal likely to retire from the ATP tour this year and Alcaraz shooting to take his place as Spain’s best tennis player, the pair playing doubles together feels like a full-circle moment. Nadal made his Olympic debut twenty years ago, also in doubles. At the age of 18, he played alongside compatriot Carlos Moya, who had won the French Open in 1998. The pair lost in the first round, but a year later Nadal won his first ever French Open, starting a magical run that is only now coming to an end. end.
