That was all they needed. One more game.
Another game to allow nostalgia to settle over what was once the favourite hunting ground for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. Shouts of “Go Rafa! Go Rafa!” and “Olé, olé, olé, Rafa, Rafa!” provided the backdrop for the final act in Paris by Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic doubles tournament.
In the end, the winners of 25 Grand Slam tournaments between them, including 15 on this very Philippe Chatrier court, fell 6-2, 6-4 to the American duo of two specialists, the American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Plagued by injuries that have plagued him for more than a year, Nadal, 38, lost his first service game amid the chants that have accompanied him on the biggest stage of his career: “Come on Rafa!” That was all Krajicek and Ram needed to silence Chatrier and end the first set in 43 minutes.
“Today we were not accurate and the games go by very quickly and every little thing can affect you. Today we did not start well and we were not able to take the game to the limit,” he explained. “I think we generated everything we had to generate to give ourselves the chances. It was not to be, in the end it is like that.”
Alcaraz lost serve in the seventh game of the second set to put Krajicek and Ram ahead 4-3, when Ram’s forehand crosscourt shot barely grazed the parallel line, a point that left Alcaraz and Nadal arguing for minutes with the lineswoman. To no avail.
“It has been a wonderful experience with unforgettable moments. My dream since I was a child was to play with Rafa, to learn from him closely and it has come true,” said Alcaraz. “We will try to remember the positive things.”
The American duo held serve and it was then that drama and nostalgia filled a Philippe Chatrier stadium that remained with the roof closed due to the rainy and extremely humid conditions, allowing the iconic cry of “Come on!” to be captured for posterity. Nadal responded, as he always did on the Parisian clay. One last time.
Or maybe not, as he has repeatedly stressed, the decision has not been made. And he will not make it with a cool head and based on results.
“My future as a professional is affected by the desire and the feeling I have when I have to make the decision,” he said, although he acknowledged that his Olympic cycle ended prematurely in Paris, but brilliantly in general terms.
“For me, what is ending is a stage. I had set the Olympic Games as my goal since the beginning of the year, this cycle has ended,” he explained. “Now I am going back home, I am going to disconnect and cool down. When I have a clear idea of what my next stage is, whether with a racket in my hand or not, I will let you know.”
Nadal and Alcaraz earned a break point at 5-4, but the American duo responded again and again despite a hostile environment dressed in red. They saved all four break points they faced, three of them in that final game, and moved into the medal round.
Nadal missed out on a third Olympic medal and a second in doubles. Alcaraz remains in the singles tournament a month after winning the Roland Garros for the first time, keeping Spain’s hopes alive.
“Carlos has to continue tomorrow, he has more to analyse and the only thing I have to analyse is when I have the flight back home,” he said smiling. “I am taking away an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
The hope of seeing Nadal once again put on his shoes at Roland Garros was however dashed on Wednesday night amid the humidity and melancholy. As he left his fiefdom, Nadal raised his arms, applauded and took one last look at the stands, the clay and his legacy. A farewell?
“Thankfulness, more than anything else,” he stressed. “In the end, to feel the way I feel every time I go out on this track, the only thing I can be is grateful.”
In other doubles results, Czechs Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek beat Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 3-6, 6-1, 10-5. Czechs Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova pulled off an upset, beating Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff 2-6, 6-4, 10-5.
Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul advanced to the next round with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Dutchmen Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer. Australians Matthew Ebden and John Peers defeated Germans Dominik Koepfer and Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4).
Britain’s Katie Boulter and Heather Watson defeated Brazilian duo Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani 6-3, 6-4. In mixed doubles, Dutch players Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof beat Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori of Italy 6-7 (4), 6-3, 11-9.
Source: AP
