Rafael Nadal and
Carlos Alcaraz are likely set to form a bit of a dream team ahead of the 2024
Olympic Games to play for Spain in the men's doubles. But the former admitted that due to their respective injuries, it proves complicated to prepare for.
Nadal who lost out yesterday to Hubert Hurkacz at the Rome Open can't play before then in doubles and Alcaraz himself is very much not 100%. Even the fact that it is on clay provides an issue. If on grass and still on the
ATP Calendar, Mallorca could've happened like previously. But while it is very much going to happen, it may not be the finished article.
Nadal has already confirmed that he is unlikely to play at
Roland Garros for instance in the doubles. This in comparison to Andy Murray who is putting all his stock into playing the tournament in the next few months.
“Carlos doesn’t have to ask me anything, if everything goes well, we will play. It’s also very exciting for me. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard that this is also the case for him," said Nadal in Madrid.
“So it would be great to play a tournament before the Olympics to prepare and to come to grips with the court. We could have the chance to form a great team and aspire to great things.”
But in Rome, he ruled out potentially playing with him before then including at Roland Garros “Looks difficult. I don’t know yet. He got injured in Madrid. I was not with enough good physical conditions to play before. Looks difficult because not remaining lot of tournaments that we can play together before Olympics. Only Roland-Garros remains, and that will not be the case. I don’t know later. Looks difficult, but let’s see,” Nadal told the media in Rome on Saturday.
