On a court where both have achieved ultimate success, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz made a winning start to their men’s doubles campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Spanish superstars combined for the first time to record a 7-6(4) 6-4 win over Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, putting them through to the second round.
“Walking out onto Philippe Chatrier with (Nadal) in front of a full stadium for the doubles was a really good moment for me,” said Alcaraz, in comments reported by the ITF.
“It was a dream come true.”
Their triumph came under a closed roof on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros on a rain-affected opening day of the Olympic Tennis Event.
But it was an especially successful one for Alcaraz, who earlier on Saturday won his first-round singles match over Lebanon’s Hady Habib.
He was one of eight singles winners, with seeds Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz also progressing.
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Angelique Kerber – who announced that Paris 2024 would be the last event of her storied career – won a battle of major champions and former world No.1s against Naomi Osaka.
Just seven weeks ago, Alcaraz won his first Roland Garros title on the same court on which he was teaming with Nadal.
Court Philippe Chatrier is also the site of Nadal’s greatest career successes; he is a 14-time Roland Garros champion.
Nadal’s extraordinary feats in Paris made him a fitting inclusion in Friday’s Opening Ceremony, where he helped carry the Olympic flame towards its final destination.
A day later, he was on court with Alcaraz, a pair all the more notable for their 17-year-age gap and the fact they represent a partnership between current and future great of the sport.
It was not a surprise to see Chatrier’s stands packed for the occasion, and Alcaraz and Nadal delivered.
They were broken in the first game, but immediately broke back, and survived two break points in the fifth game, before wresting control of the subsequent tiebreak.
Gonzalez and Molteni, recent Wimbledon quarterfinalists who have already won two ATP titles together this year, forged ahead 3-0 in the second set, only for 'Nadalcaraz' to rebound by winning six of the last seven games.
Alcaraz put away the final volley to complete a popular victory.
“It was an emotional night. An electrifying night, an amazing crowd,” Nadal said.
“Playing with Carlos on this court is so special. I’m super happy with the victory and that we have the chance to keep going.”
Next up they will face either Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof, or the Hungarian pairing of Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan.
Nadal is already an Olympic champion in men’s doubles, winning gold with Marc Lopez at Rio 2016. He also won singles gold in Beijing 2008.