"We are in the same room here, so we sleep in different beds but together" - When Rafael Nadal discussed the challenge of facing Marc Lopez in doubles
Rafael Nadal once opened up about the challenge of facing his close friend Marc Lopez in doubles at the Indian Wells Masters.
At the 2015 edition of the ATP Masters 1000 event, Nadal entered the singles competition as the third seed, receiving a bye in the first round. The Spaniard also entered the men's doubles draw with compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, opting not to partner with Lopez despite their Indian Wells doubles triumphs in 2010 and 2012 together.
After beating Igor Sijsling in the second round in men's singles, Rafael Nadal explained the rationale behind not partnering with Marc Lopez, jokingly revealing that Lopez didn't want to play with him anymore.
"Yeah, he doesn't want to play with me anymore, so ... (Laughter)," he said in his post-match press conference. "I need to play with ‑‑I need to play against him now."
Discussing the challenge of competing against his closest friend in the second round of doubles, Nadal acknowledged the discomfort of the situation but emphasized their professionalism.
"Well, I want all the best for Marc. He's one of my closest friends, probably my closest friend on tour. It's not a comfortable situation the match of tomorrow, but, at the end, we are professionals. We are going to try our best, both of us," he said.
The Spaniard also disclosed that he and Lopez were sharing a room during the tournament, heightening the compelling nature of their maiden on-court encounter.
"We are in the same room here, so we sleep in different beds but together. (Laughter.)
"And that's it. That's the sport. For the first time in our career we gonna play against each other, and hope ‑‑ we are going to try our best and hope it will be a good match," he added.
Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta emerged victorious against Marc Lopez and Marcel Granollers, winning 6-4, 6-4, before losing to eventual runner-ups Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini in the third round.
Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez clinched gold at 2016 Rio Olympics
Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez represented Spain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, entering the men's doubles event as the sixth seeds. They secured a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jean-Julien Roger and Robin Haas from the Netherlands to kick off their campaign.
The Spanish duo advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Subsequently, they claimed a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over Alexander Peya and Oliver Marach from Austria to reach the semifinals.
They beat Canada's Vasek Pospisil and Daniel Nestor 7-6(1), 7-6 (4) to book their place in the final. The Spanish pair triumphed over Romania's Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, clinching Spain's first gold medal in men's doubles at the Olympics.