Rafael Nadal spent some quality time with his baby son before his doubles match with Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The adorable moment was captured on camera.
Nadal is competing at his final Olympics in Paris, entering both men’s singles and doubles draws. In singles, he reached the second round after a three-set victory over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
His campaign was, however, halted on Monday, July 29, by his arch-rival, Novak Djokovic. The highly anticipated match saw the top seed secure a 6-1, 6-4 win against the 14-time French Open champion.
In doubles, the celebrated team of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz beat Argentines Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez 7-6 (4), 6-4. They faced the Dutch pair, Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof, on Tuesday.
Ahead of the match, the Spanish duo engaged in a ‘Parchis’ game session with Carlos Moya and David Ferrer. Nadal was also captured entertaining his baby son in the gym area before he and Alcaraz took the court.
He smiled from ear to ear as his son gave him an affectionate hug. In the background, Carlos Alcaraz was seen smiling and talking to the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s wife, Maria Francisca Perrello.
Watch the video below:
The 38-year-old’s son, along with his wife, parents and sister, Mirabel, have been a frequent presence at his matches during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During his opening doubles match, Alcaraz’s younger brother Jaime, too, joined the cheering squad in the players’ box. A picture of him sitting beside the 21-month-old went viral on social media.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz advance to quarter-finals of Paris Olympics 2024
While Rafael Nadal was knocked out of singles, he has kept the dream of clinching the gold in men’s doubles at Roland-Garros alive.
He and Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals with a victory over Griekspoor and Koolhof. The pair started off strong, clinching the opening set 6-4. The second set was a neck-and-neck battle, with the Dutch duo winning the tiebreak 7-6 (2).
However, in the third set super tiebreak, Nadal and Alcaraz put on an exceptional display, crossing the finish line with a 6-4, 6-7 (2), [10-2] scoreline. They have set up a clash with No. 2 seeded Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram for a spot in the semi-finals.
Rafael Nadal is chasing his third medal at the Olympics, having won two golds — in men’s singles at Beijing 2008 and men’s doubles at Rio 2016.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz, who is making his Olympic debut in Paris, is in contention for the singles gold, too. The reigning French Open champion beat Lebanon’s Hady Habib in the opening round before knocking out Griekspoor in the next round. He faces Russia’s Roman Safiullin for a spot in the last-eight.
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
