Rafael Nadal hopes to be a good partner for Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, where they'll play doubles together.
Nadal hasn't played much tennis this year, but he returned to the courts on clay recently and played through all of the big events, including Roland Garros. His stay at that major was a short one for him because he lost in the first round of the tournament.
That was unfortunate, but he will be back on those courts fairly soon for the Paris Olympics. He plans to play singles but also doubles there, and many fans will follow his doubles journey closely.
The reason is that he'll team up with Carlos Alcaraz, for whom Nadal is an idol. It's a fascinating combination of experience and youth and will certainly be delightful to watch.
Some are even speculating that they have a good chance of going all the way and potentially winning the medal for their country, given the 14-time champion's experience on the courts in the French capital, and Alcaraz's recent triumph in Paris.
For Nadal, it will be a great moment, not only because it's the Olympics but also because he hopes to be a good partner to his younger countryman. He recently spoke about teaming up with him, admitting that he will give it all from his side to make it as good as possible.
"I'm going to try to arrive 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 will try to arrive as best as possible and as prepared as possible to be a good partner for him."
Nadal had hoped to play with Alcaraz at one of the events before the Olympic Games, but that may not happen because Alcaraz doesn't seem to be in favor of it.