PARIS-. The most wanted men to take selfies in the Olympic Village are Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz… for long.
Whether it’s the players of Argentina’s rugby sevens team or Panamanian gymnast Hillary Heron, no one wants to miss the opportunity to take photos with the two Spanish tennis stars who together have 26 Grand Slam titles. And both are friendly to every request.
At 38 years old, Nadal is living his fourth Olympic Gamesthe latest in a colossal career that includes 22 Slam singles crowns, as well as Olympic gold in singles at Beijing 2008 and in doubles with Marc López at Rio 2016.
Alcaraz will make his Olympic debut amid a dream summer in which he captured his first singles title at the French Open — on the clay courts of the Paris tennis tournament — and reclaimed his Wimbledon title. At 21, Alcaraz is the youngest male player to win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
Amid the furore, Paris 2024 is trying to find a nickname for the duo, with a menu of options that includes Nadalcaraz, Raflitos or Alcadal.
Both are aware of the excitement that the duo generates, but they also warn that the prestige of their names does not guarantee medals.
“I understand the excitement and the excitement of seeing us play together, but we shouldn’t think that this translates into success,” Nadal said on Wednesday at a press conference in the Olympic Village. “I haven’t played many doubles with Carlos and I haven’t played many doubles or singles. We’ve both been able to play well, but then we have to get going.”
Alcaraz returns to Paris two months after defeating Alexander Zverev in a final that went to five sets.
“What are we going to name them? I don’t know, we’re going to give it our best shot,” Alcaraz said of the duo’s nickname game. “The name will depend on how the days go… Returning to Roland Garros makes the challenge of adapting well a little easier, but it’s experienced in a different way.”
“Playing with Rafa is a dream, but that doesn’t mean guaranteed success. You don’t win medals just because of your name. It will be a great experience and we have to adapt little by little,” he added. “What I’ll take from Rafa is his way of competing, of fighting, of never giving up or giving up on a point. It’s admirable and I also try to transmit what I see in him in his personal life.”
Roland Garros, where Olympic tennis gets underway on Saturday, is a special place for Nadal, one where a steel statue has been erected in his honour.
In the twilight of his career, Nadal decided to skip Wimbledon to focus on the Olympics.
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Bjoern Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via AP
“I think these are the last ones,” Nadal said when asked if Paris will mark his Olympic farewell. “For me, they have all been special. Unfortunately, I missed Tokyo (2021) and London (2012) due to injury, and that hurt me more than missing Grand Slams. They are unique experiences that you only get to have a few times in your career. I really value being here.”
He also values the experience of living in the Olympic Village: “Sharing time with teammates like Carlos rejuvenates you. It’s a different experience from all the comforts of the circuit, a return to the beginning, like when you played in small tournaments and went to hostels.”
Source: AP