When Rafael Nadal lost in the first round of the 2024 French Open against the eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev, he made it clear that it could be his last time at the famous Roland Garros.
"It's a big, big chance that it's going to be my last Roland Garros," Nadal said in his post-match interview. "But if I have to tell you it's 100 percent my last Roland Garros? Sorry, but I will not. Because I cannot predict what's going on."
Well, Nadal may not be back at the 2025 French Open, but he will be competing at Roland Garros again.
On Wednesday, the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation announced Nadal was officially chosen to represent Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Olympics will be in held Paris, and the tennis matches will be played at Roland Garros.
After losing to Zverev, Nadal made it clear he was focused on getting to the Olympics.
"My main goal now is to play Olympics," Nadal said on May 27. "That's going to be here. So I need to prepare myself the proper way to try to arrive here healthy and well prepared, and then let's see."
Nadal is a two-time Olympics gold medalist. He won gold in men's singles in Beijing in 2008 and gold in men's doubles in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 alongside Marc Lopez.
Nadal will now be competing for a third gold medal, and will play in both singles and doubles in next month's Olympics. And when he plays doubles, he'll be teaming up with one of the current best tennis players in the world.
Carlos Alcaraz, fresh off a win at the French Open, will also be representing Spain at the Olympics. He will play both singles and doubles, and his doubles matches will be with Nadal.
Nadal, the 14-time French Open winner known as the "King of Clay," will get to play with the player who most recently dominated the event in what will be a treat for tennis fans everywhere.
For Spain, it will be a perfect representation of the official passing of the torch from the greatest Spanish tennis player of all time to an up-and-coming superstar in Alcaraz.
While Nadal is 38 years old, Alcaraz's career is just getting started at 21. Alcaraz is already a three-time Major champion, winning the French Open earlier this month, Wimbledon in 2023, and the U.S. Open in 2022. Alcaraz is currently ranked the No. 2 tennis player in the world, and is well on his way to being a face of the sport.
When the 2025 French Open rolls around, Alcaraz will be defending his crown while Nadal will just hope to be competing. At the very least, they'll each get an opportunity to win at Roland Garros next month.
About the writer
Noah Camras graduated from USC in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and minor in Sports Media Studies. He's worked ... Read more
