Rafael Nadal continues to innovate on his beloved clay courts, capturing yet another victory, this time at the Paris Olympics alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
The pairing of these two Spanish tennis stars delighted fans, offering a rare glimpse of both legends on the same side of the net, a unique spectacle possible only at the Olympics.
For nearly two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the same venue where Nadal secured his 14 French Open titles and Alcaraz claimed his first just a month ago, the crowd was entranced by the ‘Nadalcaraz’ duo.
Their thrilling 7-6(7-4) 6-4 win over Argentina’s Máximo González and Andrés Molteni was met with enthusiastic support.
This match presented a special opportunity to witness the synergy of Nadal, with his 22 grand slam titles, and the young, dynamic Alcaraz.
Despite their limited time practicing together, they overcame the seasoned doubles team, providing an entertaining showcase of their new partnership.
“It’s been an emotional night, an electrifying night, an amazing crowd,” Nadal shared with reporters. “Playing with Carlos on this court has been so special. We’re just super happy about the victory, that it’s given us the chance to keep going.”
Nadal had already been honoured as one of the final torchbearers at Friday night’s opening ceremony, but less than a day later, he was back on court, thrilling spectators with his sharp net play and deft touch.
The crowd frequently chanted his name, and the celebration reached a peak when Nadal pumped a ball into the stands after securing match point.
“Yesterday was a super emotional moment for me too and I can’t thank Paris and France enough for giving me that honour,” Nadal said. “The emotion’s still very high, so just enjoying every single moment.”
The match began with both teams exchanging breaks of serve, leading to a tense and lengthy first set. It wasn’t until the middle of the tie-break, amid chants celebrating France’s rugby sevens gold, that Nadal and Alcaraz pulled ahead.
Three consecutive points gave them a 6-3 lead, and Nadal sealed the set with a powerful backhand return.
Though González and Molteni took an early 3-0 lead in the second set, the Spanish pair responded emphatically, winning the next 12 points to level at 3-3.
They broke serve again two games later, thanks to a brilliant cross-court backhand from Alcaraz, and Nadal served out the match.
Alcaraz, at 21, is enjoying a remarkable run, having won the French Open and Wimbledon recently.
Earlier on Saturday, he commenced his Olympic singles journey with a commanding 6-3 6-1 victory over Lebanon’s Hady Habib.
For Nadal, who is eyeing a third Olympic gold to add to his singles title from 2008 and doubles title from 2016, the experience at this stage of his career is as important as the victories.
His partnership with Alcaraz, just a few weeks old, is already captivating tennis fans, despite the strong challenge posed by the experienced Argentine duo.
“You see Rafa with his experience and charisma,” said Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moyá, before the match. “And then you see Carlos, kind of like Rafa was aged 20 or 21, very expressive and effusive … hopefully they can keep going because it’s a partnership that tennis fans can fall in love with.”
Nadal is set to face Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on Sunday, though there is still uncertainty about his participation in the singles draw.
When asked about a potential second-round encounter with Novak Djokovic, he quickly retorted, “Who said last dance?” It’s clear that Nadal, still triumphant on his favourite court, isn’t ready to hang up his racket just yet.
