Centrecourt Roland Garros, 10.30am. Rafa Nadal starts his doubles training with Carlos Alcaraz after suspending his training on Thursday due to some discomfort in the right thigh, connected during today's session. The Balearic tennis player thus removes doubts about his participation in the Games, at least in the duo modality, in which the Spaniards make their debut this Saturday at 7 p.m. It is questionable whether he will also participate in the individual draw on Sunday, at a time to be determined against the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, number 83 in the world. If he wins that round, he will face Novak Djokovic in the second season, when the Serb beats the Australian Matthew Ebden. Nole trained this Friday just before the Spanish turn. Alcaraz will take the court on Saturday at 12 p.m. against the Lebanese Hady Habib, 275th in the world.
Nadal was injured during individual training on Wednesday morning, although he played a training match with Alcaraz against Pablo Carreño and Marcel Granollers in the afternoon. Spanish captain David Ferrer asked him during the session if he felt physically well and suggested to stop if he noticed worse feelings. The Spaniard continued until the end without visible problems.
Carlos Moyà, Nadal's personal coach, explained on Cadena Ser on Thursday night that the 22-time national champion's participation in the doubles with Alcaraz is more likely than in the individual draw. “Nothing is 100% guaranteed. On Saturday it will practically be confirmed that he will play, unless his recovery is very bad. We are optimistic. I don't know how it will go. The doubles are a priori less aggressive, fewer long points, you occupy half the court. It is kinder to the body. And if they play well, we have real medal options. We'll see what happens, because it will be an important test. “If he is healthy and finishes without limitations, he would obviously play individually.”
Nadal, 38, then landed at Roland Garros last sunday the final of Bastad was played, the first in 777 days, against the Portuguese Nuno Borges (defeat of the Balearic Islands in straight sets), and after five matches and almost 14 hours of play on the court. In Paris he participated in his fourth Games, winning Olympic gold in singles in 2008 and in doubles in 2016 with Marc López. The pair modality is not new to him, since in his career he has collected eleven titles and a good number of matches: 140 wins and 76 losses. Alcaraz's state record in doubles matches is almost blank, only six (three won and three lost). The Spanish pair will make their official debut in Paris, since they have never met on the same side of the court, neither in a circuit tournament, nor in Davis.
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