"Playing with Rafael Nadal in my first Olympics... difficult to deal with nerves" Carlos Alcaraz reflects on his doubles debut with legend in Paris
Carlos Alcaraz made his Olympic debut in the men's doubles competition in Paris 2024. The youngster teamed up with Rafael Nadal to represent Spain, as the duo defeated Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in straight sets (7-6, 6-4) on Sunday.
The 21-year-old also made his singles debut in the Olympics on the same day as he defeated Hady Habib in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.
The Spaniard reflected on his debut at the games with Rafael Nadal in front of a jam-packed court, Philippe Chatrier:
"It wasn't Rafa himself that was imposing on me, but the situation. In the end, seeing the Philippe Chatrier stadium full, playing with Rafa, my first Olympics... It was a moment, I'll say, that was difficult to deal with the nerves, " Alcaraz said
Alcaraz continued speaking about his training with Nadal coming into the match
"We were training very, very well and we made the most of the opportunities that were given to us and in the end we ended up playing great tennis, " Alcaraz continued.
Nadal already holds two Olympic golds, while Alcaraz will be hoping to claim a gold in his first Olympics itself.
The Spanish duo advances to the second round of men's doubles and will now face the winners of the first-round game between Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) and Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan (Hungary).
Rafael Nadal unhappy with the Olympics scheduling, may skip participating in men's singles
Rafael Nadal expressed his dissatisfaction with the scheduling of his singles match following his doubles victory at the Paris Olympics. The Spaniard criticized the Olympic organizers for scheduling his match at 2 p.m. on Sunday, which would mean playing late into the night given the time difference.
Nadal emphasized his frustration with the scheduling, deeming it 'outrageous' for his singles match scheduling:
"Do I play at 2:00 p.m.? I don't understand the schedule, it seems outrageous to me when I'm playing tomorrow at two o'clock. I don't know, I'll have to go back to the village and talk to the team, I'll make the decision that I think is most appropriate to have a chance of getting results for Spain," Nadal said.( via Carrusel Deportivo)
Nadal also reflected on the possibility of him backing out of the singles competition, saying:
"I don't know if I'll play tommorow, I have to evaluate it with my team. Sometimes less is more, " Nadal continued (via Carrusel Deportivo).
If Nadal does end up playing his first-round match against Marton Fucsovics, a win in this game would set up a blockbuster second-round match against the 24-time Grand Slam winner, Novak Djokovic.