Sometimes dreams come true: not always and not for everyone, but Carlos Alcaraz knows a thing or two about making your dreams come true. The Spaniard had the chance to team up with his idol Rafael Nadal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and it was a dream experience.
The Spaniard shared the court with his legendary countryman in the men’s doubles tournament: a partnership that has enthralled many fans, as demonstrated by the number of spectators present during their matches.
“It was a great experience. We got to know each other more off the court. Playing doubles with him was great. Something I will never forget, that’s for sure. I learned a lot from talking to him, both on and off the court. I think we played great tennis together, even though we don’t play doubles very often. In the end it was a shame because we thought we could do better, but personally my dream of playing with him came true,” said Carlitos, in the words reported by Punto de Break, with which Alcaraz tried to describe the emotions he felt playing with Nadal.
Alcaraz and Nadal won their first two matches against Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni and Tallon Griekspoor/Wesley Koolhof, but stopped in the quarterfinals. Their journey was ended by Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who went on to win a silver medal. Alcaraz, in the Media Day of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, revealed that one of his main goals is to return to ATP No. 1 and, to achieve his dream, he will have to beat the competition of Jannik Sinner. There are 820 points that separate Sinner and Alcaraz in the rankings, 450 of which are distant in the Race to Turin.
“I am fighting to be first in the Race, it is something I want to achieve as soon as possible. Cincinnati is a very important tournament, so I will try to play good tennis and we will see how things go. I have probably won most of my matches this year without playing great tennis. Mentally I have been strong in some situations and I am really happy about that. I am excited about the way I handle certain situations: I always stay there, even when I know I am not playing great tennis. I always keep a positive attitude and try to find solutions,” he said.
On last year’s incredible final loss to Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz said: “I can’t wait to compete here again and I’m happy to be back. I have great memories: I reached the final and lost an epic match.”
Speaking to Eurosport after the Paris Olympic tournament, the young Spaniard explained: “I already appreciate the silver medal a lot, because I know how difficult it is and I’m enjoying the moment. Now I feel good and I enjoy wearing it. Of course when I left the court it was difficult for me because of my strong ambition. But you have to put everything into perspective, think about how complicated it is to win an Olympic medal. During the award ceremony, on the podium, I said to myself: You have to appreciate this moment, you don’t know if it will happen again.
In four years a lot can happen and I hope to be able to compete in Los Angeles 2028. The Olympic Games are one of the most special competitions there is. Being able to represent your country at the Olympics is one of the most beautiful things about sport in general. And for me it was really exciting to be able to compete and try to bring joy to all the Spanish people. Doubles with Rafael Nadal? There were moments when I had goosebumps during the matches with him. It’s something I will always remember and that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
