- The 37-year-old continues his recovery after an injury at the Madrid Open this week
- Nadal has indicated that this season will probably be his last before retiring
- Two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz to make Olympic debut this summer
Rafael Nadal said it would be exciting to partner his Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics this year and the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion hoped they could take part in some doubles tournaments in the run-up to the Games.
Alcaraz, world number three in singles, previously said he would like to play in the Olympics alongside his 37-year-old idol, who hopes to draw the curtain on his brilliant but injury-plagued team this year.
At the Madrid Open, where the duo are competing this week, the 20-year-old admitted to being a little nervous about starting the conversation, but Nadal calmed him down.
“Carlos doesn’t have to ask me anything, if everything is fine, we will play,” Nadal said during the EGUALES podcast. ‘It’s also very exciting for me. If I’m not mistaken, I heard it’s for him too.
“So it would be great to play some tournaments before the Olympics to prepare and have some rapport on the court.”
Rafael Nadal will have his sights set on winning a third gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer
Nadal revealed that he is excited to join his Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz (right) at the Paris Olympics.
While two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz will make his Olympic debut at the Games, Nadal will be seeking his third gold medal after triumphing in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games and doubles eight years later in Rio.
But Nadal has had a torrid time due to injuries in recent years, missing almost all of 2023 with a hip problem that required surgery.
The tennis competition at the Paris Games will be played on the clay court of Roland Garros, where Nadal has won 14 major titles.
‘I think if we’re both fit enough, why not? “We could have the opportunity to form a great team and aim for great things,” Nadal said of the partnership.
‘It would be good for both of us. “It would also be good for the Spanish team, so we will see how things develop.”
Nadal, a five-time champion in Madrid, will face 10th seed Australian Alex de Minaur later on Saturday.
He returned to competition in Brisbane in January but was out for another spell with a thigh problem, returning to Barcelona last week before putting his participation in the French Open next month in doubt.
Nadal hopes to win his sixth Madrid Open as he faces tenth seed Australian Alex de Minaur in the round of 16.
Nadal told reporters in the Spanish capital: “At some moments I enjoy being on the court, playing again against the best players and I feel more or less competitive, and at other moments I feel limitations and it is difficult.”
“If I arrive in Paris the way I feel today, I won’t play. I will play Roland Garros if I feel competitive. If I can play, I play. If I can’t play, I can’t. It won’t be the end of the world or the end of my career. I still have objectives after Roland Garros, like the Olympic Games.’
