Carlos Alcaraz: "It would be a dream to play doubles with Rafael Nadal in Paris Olympics 2024"
Carlos Alcaraz is over the moon about teaming up with Rafael Nadal in doubles at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
After getting knocked down in the 2023 US Open semifinal by Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz has bounced back with a bang, taking down German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in Beijing on Friday, September 29, with a flawless victory in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. This victory also marked his debut at the 2023 China.
The Second seed is set to face Italian player Lorenzo Musetti in the second round, after the Italian beat Karen Khachanov in a three-setter (6-3, 1-6, 3-2).
Addressing a press conference after his first round win in Beijing, Alcaraz spoke about his idol, the 22-time Grand Slam Champion, Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard has his fingers crossed for Nadal to bounce back in no time and hit the road again. Furthermore, he expressed his desire to team up with Nadal for doubles at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
"Right now Rafa is suffering a lot. I hope he can train again and that he can play next year from the beginning, that we have a healthy Rafa ready for the Games. It is clear that for me it would be a dream to play doubles with him in Paris”
The 20-year-old player is making sure that he stays fit to be ready for his dream of playing alongside Rafa in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It depends on both. There are many months to Paris, many things can happen. I have to be healthy, work hard and be ready for this tournament, in your case the same. We'll see what happens, but it's clear that it would be a dream."
Carlos Alcaraz- “It is very important for me to have my family by my side”
During the same interview, Carlos Alcaraz, mentioned his brother and highlighted the importance of having his family around while he is on court. He feels that he was fortunate enough to have him while he was traveling as the player hardly found time to be home.
"It is very important for me to have my family by my side. I am very lucky to be able to bring part of my family with me and travel around the world. I'm traveling all year round, I don't spend as much time as I would like at home with them, and knowing that I have a part of my house with me makes it easier for me to be fine during the tournaments”, Alcaraz mentioned.
The Spanish prodigy went on to emphasize the point, saying:
“It's very, very important. The family is the people you can trust the most, it is very important to have a good relationship with them and, in my case, to have their support during my career.”