Chris Evert amused by joke about Rafael Nadal "giving up" at Paris Olympics, exhausted by Carlos Alcaraz's tireless energy amid injury concerns
Chris Evert couldn't contain her amusement at a joke that linked Rafael Nadal's injury concerns at the 2024 Paris Olympics to Carlos Alcaraz's boundless energy. The Spanish duo have been spending a lot of time in each other's company in the French capital, having formed a blockbuster doubles partnership for the prestigious event.
Despite the anticipation surrounding Nadal's final Olympics campaign, speculation emerged about the Spaniard potentially withdrawing from his singles campaign due to new injury issues. The conjecture arose when the 38-year-old canceled a practice session with Alexander Zverev after sustaining an injury to his right thigh during doubles training.
A fan took advantage of the speculation on social media, playfully asserting that the 22-time Grand Slam champion had canceled the training session due to exhaustion. The fan also jokingly quoted the Spaniard as saying that he could no longer put up with Alcaraz's tireless energy.
"I've been with Carlos for 3 days and I can't take it anymore. We have toured the Village 7 times and this boy never gets tired! Today he wanted to go take pics with badminton players and I told him to go alone, that I give up," the fan jokingly quoted the Spaniard as saying.
Chris Evert was highly entertained by the joke, signaling her amusement with laughing emojis.
In a recent interview with CLAY, Alcaraz cleared the air on the fitness concerns surrounding the 22-time Grand Slam champion, asserting that the 38-year-old is "at his best."
"The guy is fine, he’s at his best. He’s always fine, like always!" Alcaraz said.
"It is incredible to be able to learn from Rafael Nadal" - Carlos Alcaraz reveals nickname for dream doubles partnership with his 'idol' at Paris Olympics
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal will debut their highly anticipated doubles partnership in their first-round clash against the Argentine duo of Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez on Saturday, July 27.
Ahead of their opening match, Alcaraz revealed that the nickname for their double pairing is 'Nadalcaraz,' humorously remarking that the 22-time Grand Slam champion's name deserved to be mentioned first. In the interview with Eurosport, the World No. 3 also expressed how "incredible" it is to team up with his idol on his Olympics debut.
"Nadal's name always has to come first. For me it is incredible to be able to learn from him. It is a unique experience. These first Olympics are a dream, but it makes it even more special to play doubles with your idol," he said.
In the men's singles event, second seed Carlos Alcaraz will commence his campaign against Lebanon's Hady Habib, while Rafael Nadal will face Hungary's Marton Fucsovics.