Nadal doubles with Alcaraz to play Olympics tennis doubles

Rafael Nadal, the ‘King of Clay,’ is set to return to his kingdom at Roland Garros, this time with a new partner, Carlos Alcaraz. The reigning French Open men’s singles champion and Nadal, who has a statue in his honor at the venue, will team up for the first time to compete in the men’s doubles event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Despite his recent struggles with injuries and an early exit in the 2024 French Open, Nadal remains determined to return to the iconic court for the Olympics. The 14-time French Open champion, with a statue in his honor at Roland Garros, expressed his motivation, saying, “I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics. That will be another chance, and I really hope to be well prepared.”

Nadal has participated in three Olympic Games, securing two gold medals: one in singles at Beijing 2008 and another in doubles with Marc López at Rio 2016. Notably, both Olympic gold medals were won on hard courts.

Alcaraz, who has demonstrated his versatility by winning major titles on all three surfaces—hard courts at the 2022 U.S. Open, grass courts at Wimbledon 2023, and clay courts at the 2024 French Open—will make his Olympic debut in Paris. Before the Olympics, Alcaraz will defend his Wimbledon title, starting on July 1, before returning to Paris for the Games, which commence on July 27. Alcaraz is considered a strong contender for the men’s singles gold medal. The last man to achieve the Olympic double in men’s singles and doubles was Arthur Gore (1868-1928), who accomplished this feat at the London 1908 Games.

Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com