Tomorrow will start the Olympic tennis tournament
Tomorrow will start the Olympic tennis tournament, which promises excitement and spectacle on the red clay of Paris. Players will compete for medals in an iconic venue for our sport, on the same tennis courts where the French Open is played.
The big favourite for the gold medal is certainly Carlos Alcaraz, who plays on his favourite surface where he won the French Open last month. The Spaniard also won the Wimbledon Championships this year and is the benchmark of the men’s tour despite being behind Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the ATP ranking.
The 21-year-old from Murcia will have to manage the pressure of being the main favourite at his first Olympics in his young career, which promises to be glorious and full of success. Carlitos – who is not accompanied by his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in Paris – will also play doubles with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
The two Spanish champions will debut tomorrow on Philippe Chatrier against the formidable pair formed by Gonzalez and Molteni, who have great experience in doubles and aim to win a medal. Rafa’s physical condition has been causing concern to fans over the last 24 hours, as former world number 1 had cancelled yesterday’s practice session due to an upset of his right thigh.
Nadalcaraz shone
Rafa Nadal trained alongside Carlos Alcaraz with a bandage on his right thigh. It is still unclear whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play the singles, while he will certainly be present in doubles tomorrow. Doubles requires less energy than the singles, points are shorter and will be important to let Rafa know if he is able to play the singles.
Nadal and Alcaraz showed good chemistry in training this morning, playing well against compatriots Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers. Rafa and Carlitos won the practice set against compatriots with a score of 6-3, a positive sign in view of tomorrow’s debut.
Speaking with CLAY, Alcaraz reassured fans about Rafa’s condition: “The guy is fine, he’s at his best. He’s always fine, like always!” Former ATP ace David Ferrer also spoke about Nadal: “I’m sure Rafa will be in tomorrow’s doubles because he trained well today. Let’s see how he feels. The doubles requires less intensity than the singles, in which you have to be very well prepared physically and in full condition.”
Rafa’s goal is to enjoy his last Olympics as much as possible, regardless of the final result. The former world number 1 has already won the gold medal in singles (Beijing 2008) and doubles (Rio 2016). These will be my last Games, that’s why I highly value being in Paris. I’m happy about it, and to be here, I have had to go through many difficult moments,” explained Nadal in his press conference. “I see it as a reward, which rejuvenates you. It may turn out better or worse, but the excitement no one can take away from me. I have the attitude, and I will work every day. Playing with one of the best in the world (Alcaraz), and if injuries respect him, he will be one of the best in history, is an honor.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will make his debut in singles on Sunday against veteran Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. In case of victory, his next opponent should be Novak Djokovic. The Serbian champion will have a smooth debut against Matt Ebden and has never hidden his desire to win the gold medal in Paris.
The end of an era is imminent
During the press conference before the start of the Olympics, Novak Djokovic spoke about Nadal and the imminent end of an era: “I am aware that an era is ending with Nadal and Murray’s retirements after the Games. I think my career is also coming to an end, but I believe that there are and will be tennis players capable of taking on the burden of being the best. It would be exciting to play against Nadal in the second round.”
Nole also added: “I had many opportunities to win gold and now I have to start taking advantage of them. The fact that I am not the bookmakers’ favorite is just a motivation for me. The Olympic Games have always been a great challenge for me. I have focused all my preparation on this tournament. I think I will adapt immediately to the conditions of Roland Garros since we played there two months ago.”
Fans and experts are hoping to see a final match between Djokovic and Nadal, who have made tennis history and have faced each other in the world’s most important tournaments for 18 years. Their first match was at the French Open in 2006, when a young Nole showed character against the Spanish legend.
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