Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were defeated in the quarterfinals of the men's doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, thus confirming the end of an era. A farewell to the Olympics: With one hand on Carlos Alcaraz's shoulder, Rafael Nadal encouraged and comforted his teammate, as well as himself.
Nadal and Alcaraz comforted each other.
On Philippe Chatrier Court, the center court of Roland Garros, Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, both accustomed to victory, suffered defeats. One of them will officially be eliminated from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
If you celebrate as a team, why not cry as a team? After falling to the American pair, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, in the Olympic quarterfinals, the two embraced.
The embrace marked the end of an era. Two generations of Spanish tennis stars lost 0-2 in 1 hour and 38 minutes.
At 38, Nadal is leaving his Olympic career behind. There will be no more Olympic Villages, no more parades, no more summer battles at the planet's biggest sporting event.
Nadal and Alcaraz comforted each other.
It was the first major farewell for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who is now considering whether to extend his career, as long as his body allows.
No more high-stakes matches. After the final individual dance with Novak Djokovic, the final team dance concludes with Alcaraz – his own successor.
Complete failure
In the quarter-final match of the team event in tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nadal and Alcaraz quickly discovered they were facing a huge wall.
Krajicek and Ram pushed forward, attacking close to the net with overwhelming power that surprised Nadal and Alcaraz. The American duo, seeded number 4, were a formidable wall, handling everything quickly and in perfect sync.
Nadal's unsuccessful attempts
It's difficult to find any gaps in the perfect partnership between Krajicek and Ram. They dominate every area of the court, controlling space and dominating the match.
The difference was evident when the American players moved more and more intelligently. They knew their movements by heart and coordinated very well. This is something that the "Nadalcaraz" pair, who had little time together, could not emulate.
The first set ended with a 6-2 score in favor of Krajicek and Ram, who knew where to position their bodies and rackets, and how to defend against shots from the other side of the court.
Nadal aimed to create a turning point when he entered the second set on serve. The balance didn't last long. Their opponent attacked into the open space with great speed, causing Alcaraz to make several mistakes.
Nadal ended his Olympic career in tears.
Before the Olympics, Nadal and Alcaraz had only played doubles together six times. Therefore, they both had to endure the powerful shots of their opponent.
The oxygen supply ran out sooner than expected. In some rallies, Nadal exerted the effort of a veteran and the mentality of his 14 Roland Garros victories to put pressure on his opponent, while Alcaraz hesitated and therefore handled the ball ineffectively.
Alcaraz's problem isn't too hard to understand. He had a marathon day ahead. In the morning, the Wimbledon champion had a 1 hour 30 minute men's singles match against Roman Safiullin (6-4 and 6-2).
“For me, a chapter has ended,” Nadal affirmed. From Athens to Paris, his Olympic journey concluded in the French capital, also in doubles. Exactly two decades ago, he began his Olympic journey partnering with Carlos Moya.
Vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nadal-khoc-chia-tay-olympic-ket-thuc-mot-trieu-dai-2307579.html
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