By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, September 19, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz aims to reprise his doubles partnership with Rafael Nadal and deliver the Davis Cup back to Spain.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Parting is painful.
Carlos Alcaraz dreams of one final pairing with tennis hero Rafael Nadal before the King of Clay closes the curtain on his career.
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Speaking to Spanish publication MARCAin Berlin today ahead of this weekend’s Laver Cup, Alcaraz shared his dream for this fall season.
Alcaraz aims to partner Nadal in the Davis Cup Final 8 set for Malaga, Spain November 19-24th.
Spain will face The Netherlands with the winner of that tie advancing to the semifinals against either Canada or Germany.
Reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz partnered Nadal in doubles at the Paris Olympic Games. The Spanish superstars scored two wins before bowing to Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
Now, Alcaraz aims to reprise that partnership of major champions and fan favorites.
"I already heard that [Spanish captain] David [Ferrer] said that if Rafa was there, that he was going to go to the death with him,” Alcaraz told MARCA. “I hope I'm also physically well to be able to go to Malaga. It's something that I'm especially excited about and I hope that Rafa will be there too.”
At the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin, Nadal shared he would "love to say good-bye from that beautiful [Davis Cup] competition."
"Let's see if I'm able to play again the Davis Cup one day. I am not sure about it," Nadal told the media in Turin. "Of course, in my mind, [I] would love to say good-bye from that beautiful competition playing. Let's see what can happen in the future."
The 21-year-old Alcaraz said he was pumped to see Nadal at Laver Cup Berlin. Nadal withdrew from the event and has been replaced on Team Europe by Grigor Dimitrov.
"It would have been super special to repeat here in Berlin,” Alcaraz told MARCA. “When they gave the team and I saw that Rafa was coming, I was tremendously excited, to share the dressing room with him once again.
“Here at the Laver Cup we are all much closer and it would have been a unique experience. I'm going to miss him and wish him back on the courts soon when he's feeling well. Hopefully we will meet in a tournament soon."
Alcaraz said spending time with Nadal has been both an inspiring—and educational—experience.
“Rafa is one of the greatest in the history of our sport,” Alcaraz said. “For me he is my idol, he is the one I watched the games when I was a child, I have tried to learn from him as much as I can during the time we have coincided.
“I will miss him in Berlin because it was a unique opportunity to continue learning from him. He has been a unique tennis player."