Carlos Alcaraz reveals Rafael Nadal 'dream' for 2024

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz lead ATP race

May 27, 2023

ATP Tennis Players, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafa Nadal, Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments

Carlos Alcaraz reveals Rafael Nadal ‘dream’ for 2024

Carlos Alcaraz has spoken of his dream for Rafael Nadal in his potential ‘last year’ as a professional tennis player, with the No.1 bidding to carry the torch for his fellow Spaniard at Roland Garros this year.

Alcaraz took to his first Grand Slam press conference as the world No.1 yesterday, where he was asked questions about the man that has dominated this tournament for nearly 20 years.

💥 Back at it 💥#RolandGarros | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/lVxrVZ5Nw2
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2023

The last time the clay major did not feature the 14-time Roland Garros champion Nadal was in 2004, when Alcaraz was only one-year-old.

Nadal revealed in his recent press conference that 2024 is likely to be his last on the ATP tour, and Alcaraz revealed his dream before the 22-time Grand Slam champion leaves the sport for good.

“For me, it could be a dream playing doubles with him in the Olympics,” revealed Alcaraz. “Let’s see how he’s doing and how he’s going this year. Hopefully he’s going great.”

The Olympic Games head to the French capital next year for the first time in 100 years, with the tennis events being held on the historic Roland Garros courts.

Nadal has already made his mark on the Olympics, being the only tennis player to win gold medals in singles and doubles at two individual games.

The 36-year-old won his doubles gold medal with Marc Lopez in Rio in 2016, and if Alcaraz’s dream is to come true it could signal the passing of the torch at the place where he has dominated for so many years.

Alcaraz was also asked about his prospects for Roland Garros this year, with the men’s draw being talked about as the most open in years due to Nadal’s absence.

“This tournament is special for Spanish players. It’s a tournament that I really want to do well, to win it one day,” explained Alcaraz.

“Last year I played at a high level, I reached the quarter-finals and this year I come here with a lot of desire, with a lot of motivation, having a lot of confidence and I’m training at a high level. I feel very good. This court transmits different feelings to other courts.”

The US Open champion added, “In a Grand Slam you need to know how to manage everything. The energy, the rest, everything. In training… It depends on each player, how they feel, but it’s super important to have good guidelines and do everything perfectly if you want to get good results.”