Alcaraz/Nadal doubles first at Paris Olympics | ATP Tour

Paris Olympics

Alcaraz/Nadal won the doubles for the first time at the Paris Olympics

The Spaniards fought again 0-3 in the second game

July 27, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal made their much-anticipated debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the Spanish duo eliminated sixth-seeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the tournament. second round.

Alcaraz, who started the day with one win in his first Olympic match, got off to a shaky start, dropping the opening game and needing to fend off two break points in his second service game. But it was the more experienced 38-year-old Nadal, in his fourth Olympic appearance, who helped settle the group with former banana-curling winners and quick reflexes at the net.

Both dressed in Spanish red shirts and white shorts, Alcaraz and Nadal turned to a 'two-bowl' strategy on their return, with the left-handed Nadal returning to the deuce side. Alcaraz and Nadal then looked for early opportunities to use angles and work their way forward to seize control of the rallies. They gained a narrow break advantage at 3/3 in the tie-break of the opening set, when Alcaraz blasted a forehand that clipped the net rope and deflected off the frame of Gonzalez's racket.

Alcaraz and Nadal trailed 0-3 in the second set, before reeling off three straight games and building on their momentum, earning a crucial break at 4-4. Tour-ranked 92-time Nadal then served the match, accompanied by fans chanting, “Rafa! Rafa!” under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal, a two-time gold medalist (2008 Beijing singles, 2016 Rio doubles w/ Marc Lopez), played the entire one hour, 47 minutes with his upper right leg taped, but the left one showed no signs of impairment. movement.

The next best of the No. 1 of the World in the PIF ATP Rankings are the Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof or the Hungarians Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan. Fucsovics is Nadal's first round opponent.

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– ATP Tour (@atptour) July 27, 2024