Nadal, Alcaraz make victorious Olympic tennis debut as a doubles team
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal moved into the second round of the men’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event after defeating Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4) 6-4 in front of a fantastic crowd at Roland Garros on Saturday night.
Nadal, fresh from his starring role at the Opening Ceremony, ensured world No. 3 Alcaraz ended the opening day in Paris with a victory in both singles and doubles next to his name.
It was always going to be fascinating to see what the on-court dynamic would be between two world-class singles players and it was Nadal, 17 years Alcaraz’s senior, who took the lead role.
The 38-year-old was regularly seen patting his younger countryman on the back – especially after Alcaraz was broken in the opening service game of the match – and the older Spaniard’s iconic fist pumps were almost mimicked in admiration by the younger of the duo.
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Nadal is so well-known for his incredible singles success that it’s easy to forget what an accomplished doubles player he is. He has played over 200 Tour-level doubles matches, picking up 11 titles, including a gold medal from Rio 2016, where he partnered good friend Marc Lopez.
Alcaraz, by contrast, was playing in just his seventh Tour-level doubles encounter.
“Walking out onto Philippe Chatrier with [Nadal] in front of a full stadium for the doubles was a really good moment for me,” said Alcaraz after the match. “It was a dream come true.”
Cheered on by the capacity crowd inside Philippe Chatrier, it was clear who the fans wanted to win – Alcaraz and Nadal were greeted by a reception that almost blew off the roof, and one could be forgiven for thinking the men in red were playing on home soil such was the support received.
And this was far from a one-sided encounter. The Argentines, who are a regular partnership on the ATP tour, pushed the Spaniards every step of the way.
Both sets followed a similar path, with the pairs exchanging early breaks of serve. The first went the way of a tiebreak, in which the Spanish players seemed to step up a gear, while the second saw Molteni’s serve broken in the ninth game before Nadal served out the match.
The win sees the Spanish into the second round, where they will meet either the Dutch duo of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof or Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan.
“It was an emotional night,” added Nadal. “An electrifying night, an amazing crowd. Playing with Carlos on this court is so special. I’m super happy with the victory and that we have the chance to keep going.”