Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate special day for Spain as football team lifts the Euro 2024 just hours after Alcaraz's Wimbledon triumph
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz celebrated Spain's emphatic triumph over England in the final of the UEFA Euro 2024. Notably, Spain's victory came hours after Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7) to defend his title at Wimbledon 2024.
The first half of the Euro 2024 final showcased tough competition between both sides; while Spain maintained possession, England put a single shot on target, but no goals were scored. Two minutes into the second half, La Roja took the lead with a stellar goal by Nico Williams. However, England equalized in the 73rd minute with a brilliant effort from Cole Palmer.
However, England's comeback fell short as Mikel Oyarzabal scored in the 86th minute for Spain, securing their record fourth European Championship title in Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Rafael Nadal celebrated La Roja's emphatic triumph on Instagram. The 22-time Grand Slam champion shared a poster featuring the Spanish team players with the trophy in the center.
"Let's go European champions," Nadal wrote in his story ( Translated from Spanish).
Moreover, Carlos Alcaraz also celebrated Spain's triumph, sharing the same poster in his Instagram Story.
"Let's go," Alcaraz wrote ( Translated from Spanish).
This victory marked Spain's first European Championship triumph under head coach Luis de la Fuente, who has been in charge since 2022. Spain previously won the Cup in 1964, 2008, and 2012, making their 2024 win against England their fourth title
Rafael Nadal getting prepared before teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz to represent Spain in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Last month, Spain's men's team captain David Ferrer announced that Rafael Nadal would team up with Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles competition at the Olympics. As this is likely the 37-year-old's final appearance at the marquee event, he is preparing diligently to compete alongside his compatriot.
Speaking to the media last month, the Mallorcan stated that he hadn't played doubles in a while but was preparing himself to team up with Alcaraz.
“I'm going to try to be as well prepared as possible. I haven't played doubles for a long time, but Carlos is in a fantastic moment after winning in Paris, so I'll try to be as well prepared as possible to be a good partner for him,” Nadal said while addressing the media last month ( via Punto de Break).
The 22-time Grand Slam Champion didn't compete after his first-round exit at the 2024 French Open and missed Wimbledon to prepare for the Olympics.
Moreover, tennis in the Olympic games which will start on July 27, will be played on the clay courts where Roland Garros took place this year. Nadal had earlier stated that the constant change in surfaces would affect his body, leading to his decision to skip the London Major.
Nadal is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having previously won in Beijing (2008) and Rio (2016).