Rafael Nadal will be teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he expects a great level from him.
Predicting that Alcaraz would have a great level at the upcoming Olympics isn't that strange because the Spaniard has been absolutely on fire lately. It all started back at Roland Garros, where he battled his way to the final and then to the trophy against some really solid opposition.
Beating Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in back-to-back five-set matches, which required a comeback from 1-2 down, was certainly an amazing achievement, but even better things would follow for the youngster.
He then had a minor slip-up at the Cinch Championships, losing to Jack Draper, but responded well at the Wimbledon Championships by making another final and then completely outplaying Novak Djokovic in the final.
With performances like that, it's unreasonable to expect Alcaraz to bring a great level to Paris as well. Nadal was asked about playing with his compatriot in the French capital, and he confirmed that he's expecting great things from him and is looking forward to practicing with him this upcoming week ahead of the Olympic Games.
"I know that if I can play good tennis on an individual level, I'll do well in doubles too, but I have to analyze what happened this week and work hard. I'm convinced that Carlos Alcaraz will be at a great level because he's coming in with confidence. We'll train together this week."
Nadal initially considered having Alcaraz compete with him in Hamburg or Bastad in the doubles, but the 21-year-old had a busy schedule. It wouldn't make that much sense for him, especially with his deep Wimbledon run, so that was a very wise decision by the youngster.
Nadal then opted to partner up with Casper Ruud in Bastad and they performed really well, making the semi-final, so he's certainly capable of playing well in doubles.
Nadal and Marc Lopez already won gold in doubles for Spain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the 22-time major winner also won a singles gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
Even with all of that success, Nadal is really excited about playing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and representing Spain. He called the Games 'the most important event in sport', and he hopes to contribute meaningfully.
"I'm really looking forward to being part of the Olympic team and representing Spain. This is the most important event in sport, I hope I can find the energy I need and do good training."
The 2024 Olympics will be interesting for Nadal because they're played in Paris. Generally, very few would give him any chances in either singles or doubles, given how much time he spent away from the ATP Tour, but with the venue being a place where he dominated in the past, it certainly makes his success more likely.
Still, he will have better chances in doubles, as his teammate Alcaraz, and many others, could be his possible singles opponents, and there are many players who have played at a higher level than the 38-year-old recently.
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