Rafa Nadal stated it could be thrilling to associate fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz on the Paris Olympics this yr and the 22-times singles Grand Slam champion hoped they will enter some doubles tournaments within the build-up to the Video games.
Singles world quantity three Alcaraz stated beforehand he want to play on the Olympics alongside his 37-year-old idol, who expects to carry the curtains down on his glittering however injury-plagued profession this yr.
On the Madrid Open the place the duo are competing this week, the 20-year-old admitted to being considerably nervous about initiating the dialogue however Nadal put him relaxed.
“Carlos doesn’t need to ask me something, all issues being properly, we’ll play,” Nadal stated in the course of the IGUALES podcast. “It’s additionally vastly thrilling for me. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard it’s for him too.
“So it could be nice to play the odd match earlier than the Olympics to organize ourselves and to get some rapport on courtroom.”
Whereas twice Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is about to make his Olympic debut within the July 26-Aug. 11 Video games, Nadal shall be eyeing his third gold medal after triumphing in singles within the 2008 Beijing Video games and doubles eight years later in Rio.
However Nadal has had a torrid time with damage lately, lacking practically all of 2023 with a hip subject that wanted surgical procedure.
He returned to competitors in Brisbane in January however was out for an additional stretch because of a thigh subject, solely coming again in Barcelona final week earlier than casting doubts over his French Open participation subsequent month.
The tennis competitors on the Paris Video games will happen on clay at Roland Garros, the place Nadal has received 14 main titles.
“I feel if we’re each match sufficient, why not? We may have the possibility to kind an amazing group and aspire to nice issues,” Nadal stated of the partnership.
“It could be good for each of us. It could even be good for the Spanish group, so we’ll see how issues progress.”
Nadal, a five-times champion in Madrid, faces Australian tenth seed Alex de Minaur in a while Saturday.