Rafa’s former coach, Toni Nadal, believes the Nadal-Alcaraz pair can win ‘Olympic gold’
Spain sighs with its doubles pair for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Having Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz is something few countries can boast of. The Olympic event comes at very different times for the two tennis players. Rafa Nadal is 38 years old, has won it all and is in what could be his final season.
Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, is 23 and destined to be one of the best tennis players of the decade. He recently won Roland Garros, his doubles partner’s favourite tournament. Now he is one of the favourites for Wimbledon.
Playing doubles is not the same as playing singles. However, it is clear that with two players of this level, anything is possible. One of the people who knows Nadal best is Toni Nadal. His uncle and former coach for many years, Toni has been a key figure in the Spaniard’s career. Now the coach of some of his nephew’s rivals, Toni believes the pair are serious contenders for Olympic gold.
“In an interview with Spanish newspaper AS, Toni Nadal said, “I have spoken to him (Rafa Nadal) in recent days and he is much better, he wants to do well in the Olympics and we will see if we can achieve that.
The tennis player himself posted a video on his Instagram account a few days ago, showing him training at a high level for the upcoming tournament: Paris 2024. He was training at the Rafa Nadal Academy, run by Movistar and located in Manacor, where he lives. Nadal decided not to play in Wimbledon so as not to jeopardise his preparations for the Olympic tournament, in order to be in the best possible shape for his last Games.
The Olympic tournament starts on 27 July, the day after the opening ceremony. It ends on 3 August with the final. Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz could be two of the four players in that final. “They want to do well (Nadal and Alcaraz). I think they are clear candidates for the gold medal,” said Toni Nadal.
It should not be forgotten that although the two Spaniards are of a high standard,they have never played together, which could be a disadvantage. “It won’t be easy because they’ve never played together and you can always feel that a bit,” added Toni Nadal.
