The Dutch women's hockey team trains by running at the Olympic Village when a myth appears in your path. Suddenly, the players stop and, as if in anticipation of the opening parade, they form two lines on the left and right of the street, raising their arms to form an arch through which Rafa Nadal walks, smiling. The Spanish tennis player is one of the biggest attractions in the concentration of athletes next to the River Seine. He can barely take a few steps without someone asking him to stop and pointing their mobile phone at him. The Balearic Islands accept the price of universal recognition that it brings, just as Carlos Alcaraz adapts to his side. the fame of winning the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double this year.
The Spanish couple is preparing for their debut in doubles and is also taking part in the draw in singles (the draw is next Thursday; Jannik Sinner has withdrawn due to injury). Paris is the scene of a journey through time. On the court of Roland Garros, Nadal, who has bitten 14 of his 22 greats on that clay and who, at 38, extends his passion beyond his physique, and Alcaraz, 21, the star of the present and the future. The scene is unique, unrepeatable. Nadal experiences his return to the Olympic Games as a return to his origins, to the modesty of his beginnings, and he enjoys the Villa like a child, despite the burdens of his fame. And Alcaraz appreciates the fact that he is playing shoulder to shoulder with someone who has inspired him. The Murcian baptizes the invention: “Nadalcaraz”.
“Every time I've been to an Olympics, and I say this with my hand on my heart, it's been an unforgettable experience,” Nadal explained. gold in Beijing 2008 in singles and gold in doubles at Rio 2016 with Marc López. He made his debut in Athens in 2004 with Carlos Moyà and missed the events in London in 2012 and Tokyo in 2020 due to injury. “Beijing was bigger for me than some Grand Slams. At the Games you are never alone, you are part of a much bigger team. Returning to the Villa with a medal is an impressive feeling. The fact that I am in Paris makes me very excited, because it will be my last Games. I appreciate it very much. When I was in Rio, it seemed impossible to get here. I have been through difficult times and the fact that I have been able to continue in the last two years gives me satisfaction. This is the prize, experiencing the Games in Paris. It rejuvenates me. It is like going back to the beginning of everything, when I played small tournaments and was in hostels. It is a reminder of where we really come from and where the real spirit of sport comes from, without big frills. “My situation is difficult, but no one can take away my enthusiasm,” Nadal said.
A worn and pinched bodywork weighs heavily on the Balearic Islands, which last week he played a final in Bastad after 777 days, although he fell to the Portuguese Nuno Borges. Today he is number 161 in the world rankings and in Paris he will compete alone and alongside Alcaraz. In his favor is the clay court, an Olympic surface for the first time since Barcelona '92. Nadal is also no novice in doubles, a discipline in which he has achieved 140 victories, with 76 defeats and 11 titles. Alcaraz has played only six matches in his career in the duo (three wins and three losses), according to the ATP. And both have never met on the same side of the court in an official tournament or in Davis. “We have not been able to prepare together like other couples, but we trust in Carlos' great moment and that I can raise the level I need to make this work”, argues Nadal, trying to reduce the noise: “I understand the morbidity of seeing us together, but it is a mistake to think that this translates into success. Carlos hasn’t played a lot of doubles, and I haven’t played doubles or singles lately. The reality is what it is. It’s going to cost. Doubles is a different competition, things happen faster, you have to have your reflexes ready, the movements are different. A lot changes in terms of reading the balls and positioning yourself. We have to build our strength by playing well on an individual level and understanding each other.”
Alcaraz accepts the need for an adaptation and praises his partner. “I have to learn everything from Rafa, he is a legend. His way of competing, fighting, never letting go, never giving up a point. And his humility off the court is admirable. It is a dream to play with him, we will do our best,” he says. At his side, Nadal absorbs the young man’s abundant power: “I can learn from the new generations. Being with someone like Carlos rejuvenates me, it reminds me of the energy you have when you are 20, when you discover everything, everything is special, and the excitement of the unknown.”
Both jump to court number 2 at Roland Garros at four in the afternoon. On the way to the rectangle, Nadal tells a small fight to the young man, who listens attentively. The relaxation ends when you step onto the sand. In front of them are Pablo Carreño and Marcel Granollers. “Are we going to change something so that it doesn't get out of balance?”, jokes the first. There is no truce. A bombardment of blows with the soul begins that lasts two hours. Nadal and Alcaraz do not understand walks. When it comes down to it, it's win or win.
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