Rafael Nadal is excited to partner fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in a dream doubles’ partnership at the Paris Olympics this summer.
World No 3 Alcaraz said previously he would like to play at the Olympics alongside his 37-year-old idol, who expects to bring the curtain down on his glittering but injury-plagued career this year.
At the Madrid Open where the duo are competing this week, the 20-year-old admitted to being somewhat nervous about initiating the discussion but Nadal put him at ease.
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Tim Henman hails Alcaraz’s impressive career run as the Spaniard made five ATP Masters 1000 titles before turning 21
“Carlos doesn’t have to ask me anything. All things being well, we’ll play,” Nadal said. “It’s also hugely exciting for me. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard it is for him too.
“So it would be great to play the odd tournament before the Olympics to prepare ourselves and to get some rapport on court.”
While two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is set to make his Olympic debut, Nadal will be eyeing his third gold medal after triumphing in singles in the 2008 Beijing Games and doubles eight years later in Rio.
But Nadal has had a torrid time with injury in recent years, missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip issue that needed surgery.
He returned to competition in Brisbane in January but was out for another stretch due to a thigh issue, only coming back in Barcelona last week before casting doubts over his French Open participation next month.
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Nadal admits his body won’t allow him to give 100 per cent every game, as the 14-time French Open winner targets another appearance at Roland Garros in June
The tennis competition at the Paris Games will take place on clay at Roland Garros, where Nadal has won 14 major titles.
“I think if we’re both fit enough, why not? We could have the chance to form a great team and aspire to great things,” Nadal said of the partnership.
“It would be good for both of us. It would also be good for the Spanish team, so we’ll see how things progress.”
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Watch Nadal’s top five Madrid Open shots throughout his career so far!
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
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Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
In the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 – the French Open at Roland Garros from May 26 – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season.
- Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – May 7-19
- Geneva Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
- Lyon Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
- Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500 with Emma Raducanu in action) – May 20-26
- Morocco Open (WTA 250) – May 20-26
How to watch play on Sky Sports Tennis
The stars of tennis will appear on the new Sky Sports Tennis channel every day
Sky Sports has confirmed a new home for tennis in the UK and Ireland, with Sky Sports Tennis on Sky and NOW, making tennis content available all day, every day for fans.
Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as full coverage of the US Open, all exclusively live.
Non-Sky subscribers can stream live matches with a NOW Sports Day and Month Membership, via Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports Arena, and Sky Sports Mix channels.
For further access, fans will also be able to follow their favourite players and gain deeper insights from both Tours via Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports app, on SkySports.com and via Sky Sports social channels.
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