By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, January 9, 2024

 

Carlos Alcaraz aims to play the Paris Olympics with Rafael Nadal.

Photo credit: @BNP Paribas Open

Days before the Australian Open begins, some contenders spend nights dreaming of Grand Slam silverware.

Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz aspires for 2024 to be as good as gold.

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In a new interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Alcaraz reiterates his main aim for the season: Win an Olympic gold medal.

"Grand Slam tournaments and Masters 1000 [events] are the priorities, but representing your country at the Games is a dream, so winning the gold medal at the Paris Games would be extraordinary and is my main goal for 2024," Alcaraz told Le Figaro.

The 20-year-old Spanish superstar will face the dual challenge of trying to defend his Wimbledon title in London before taking aim at the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

"With the Games in the summer, after Wimbledon, it's going to be a tough season, like all the ones I've done so far," Alcaraz told the media in Mexico last month. "We're going to try to get strong, put ourselves in the best possible condition, to try to make it the same or better than this season and try to bring a medal to my country.

"That's what I'd like the most and that's what we're going to work for."



The Paris Olympic Games may well provide us with a tennis Dream Team as Alcaraz says he wants to play doubles with two-time Olympic gold-medal champion Rafael Nadal. The king of clay has said he's all in with that plan if he's healthy enough to play the Paris Olympics.

The 37-year-old Nadal is a two-time Olympic gold-medal champion. Nadal struck singles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Eight years later, Nadal partnered buddy Marc Lopez, who is now his coach, to capture the doubles gold at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Alcaraz told Le Figaro standing shoulder to shoulder alongside Nadal would be "a dream" though he shares the pair haven't personally discussed their Olympic plans.

"I hope that we are both ready at that moment" Alcaraz said.