The pair formed by the Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz won the match in the first round of the tennis tournament at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
The two, separated by 17 years in age, teamed up for the first time in an official doubles match, facing a much more experienced pair, the Argentinians Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, favored 6 in Paris.
It was a tough match, narrowly won by the Iberians, with a score of 7-6 (4), 6-4, and the two move forward in their quest for a medal. In the round of 16, Nadal and Alcaraz will face a team from the Netherlands (Tallon Griekspoor/Wesley Koolhof) or one from Hungary (Marton Fucsovics/Fabian Marozsan).
Nadal is a two-time Olympic champion, in singles in 2008 and in doubles at Rio in 2016. Alcaraz comes after successes at Paris and Wimbledon and is a top favorite for the Olympic gold here in singles at the Olympics. The atmosphere was exceptional at the Philippe Chatrier arena, which was filled as if for a major match, and the most acclaimed player by far was Nadal. Carlitos' speed on the court is complemented from the back by Rafa's wonderful game strategy, who is a 14-time champion here at the French Open in history.
For Rafa, the first singles match is next, today at 14:30 against Marton Fucsovics from Hungary.