Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz start the Paris Olympics with victory in doubles

PARIS– PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal It is Carlos Alcaraz – the old and new pair of tennis stars from Spain – won the first match they played together as a doubles team, eliminating Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the Paris Olympics Saturday night.

Nadal, 38, did not make it clear whether the Summer Games will be the last event of his career, although there is a lot of speculation about that given all his recent injury problems – he wore white tape wrapped around his right thigh on Saturday – and his connection to Roland Garros. This is the clay court used for these Olympics and the site of the annual French Open, where he won a record 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal’s participation in the 2024 Olympics actually began the night before, when he was the surprise torchbearer during the opening ceremony.

Nadal, who won Olympic gold in singles in 2008 and doubles in 2016, is scheduled to play the first round of singles on Sunday against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. If Nadal wins, he will face long-time rival Novak Djokovic in the second round.

“Playing against him is like a final, really, for me in any tournament, especially here, knowing what he achieved, what he did, for our sport, especially here at Roland Garros. His record speaks for itself,” Djokovic said after winning his first round on Saturday. “I’m looking forward to it. If we face each other, it will possibly be the last time we face each other on a big stage. I’m sure people will like it. I’m looking forward to it.”

Neither Nadal nor Alcaraz, a 21-year-old coming off singles championships at the French Open in June and Wimbledon two weeks ago, play much doubles. There were setbacks on Saturday against their sixth-seeded opponents, to be sure, including a 3-0 deficit in the second set, but the Spanish duo’s talent prevailed.

If this outing in front of a packed and raucous crowd at the Court Philippe Chatrier is any indication, the applause for Nadal will be as loud as possible as long as he remains in the Olympic bracket.

Although he has played only sparingly over the past two seasons because of hip surgery and an abdominal muscle problem, and lost in the first round of this year’s French Open to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev, Nadal looked good on Saturday. Then again, doubles require a lot less movement and resistance than singles, of course.

Still, Nadal’s movement looked good, and he showed off his tremendous volleying ability, including a back-to-the-net, over-the-shoulder, no-look winner in the first set. After the point, he spun around and punched the air. Fans celebrated wildly.

Nadal frequently clapped Alcaraz between points – whether won or lost – and occasionally patted his much younger partner on the shoulder during lulls in the action.

When the match ended with a volley from Alcaraz’s racket, Nadal raised both fists. Alcaraz turned to his new partner and shouted, “Come on!”

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