Carlos Alcaraz suffered a difficult defeat at the 2024 Paris Olympics, losing in the gold medal match to Novak Djokovic, and his idol Rafael Nadal sent him a friendly message of support.
The two Spaniards have become closer through these Olympic Games in the French capital, as they played in the doubles together. Even before that experience, Nadal and Alcaraz were close because the younger of the two grew up watching Nadal compete, and like most Spaniards, the 22-time major winner was his hero.
The legend has certainly always been quite complimentary of Alcaraz as well. The Spaniard is a huge believer in the teenager's potential, deeming him the future of Spanish tennis.
The fact that both are Spanish certainly helps their bond, and Nadal pulled for Alcaraz while watching the final of the 2024 Olympic Games in France against his rival Djokovic.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he wasn't able to play his best tennis and was beaten by Djokovic in two sets to win the silver medal. It's not the medal he wanted, but it's still a great success because there are only three medals to be won.
Winning one of the medals is a success, and the 21-year-old will certainly look back on it and cherish it. Nadal's reaction to Alcaraz's loss came on social media, as the Spaniard sent a message of support for his compatriot, anticipating that he would likely be down after the loss.
He told Alcaraz to be happy for the medal he won because every medal counts for the country, and over time, he will learn to enjoy it as well.
"Carlos, although I know that today is a difficult day, value a medal that is very important for the entire country and you will see, over time, that it is for you too. Thank you for this incredible week and for a medal that you give us to Spanish sport. A hug."
While it's a tough loss to accept at the moment due to the recency of the loss, the Spaniard can certainly draw some inspiration from Nadal's Olympic career. The first time Nadal played at the Olympics was in 2004, and he did badly, finishing 17th overall.
He did much better the next time he played, winning the gold medal for Spain, which is what Acaraz should take note of. He is fairly young and will have a couple more Olympics to play at, with the next one just four years away.
He will be in his physical prime then, and we know how tough he can be on hard courts. Los Angeles is waiting, and he will be among those battling for a medal then.
It is disappointing, but he will get over it over time, and there are more chances to do better at the Olympics. There is no time to grieve because the season isn't done yet. There is more tennis to be played and more trophies to be won.
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