Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will team up to play doubles for Spain at the Paris Olympics.
Nadal, 38, won an Olympic singles gold medal in 2008 and a doubles gold in 2016.
The Paris Games will be Alcaraz’s first Olympics as he returns to Roland-Garros where he was crowned men’s French Open champion on Monday AEST.
The participation of Nadal – who is 17 years older than Alcaraz — was up in the air with the 14-times French Open champion still not at his best following injuries.
But national team coach and former top-10 player David Ferrer said Nadal would team up with Alcaraz.
“Rafa and Carlos will be playing together in Paris,” he said.
“We have a great team and we are going to play at Roland-Garros, the court that Nadal and Alcaraz know so well. We hope to bring joy to Spanish sport.”
Nadal has won 22 major singles titles since breaking through for his first French Open in 2005 as a 19-year-old.
Alcaraz grew up running home from school to watch Nadal on TV as he accumulated title after title at Roland-Garros.
With his victory in Paris, Alcaraz eclipsed Nadal as the youngest man to collect major championships on three surfaces.
He triumphed on hard court at the US Open in 2022 and on grass at Wimbledon in 2023.
The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to August 11.
Reuters/AP
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