Nadal and Alcaraz comfort each other
On Philippe Chatrier Court, the center court of Roland Garros, Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, who are used to winning, have just suffered defeat together. One of the two has officially left the 2024 Paris Olympics.
If you celebrate as a team, why not cry as a team? After falling to the American pair, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, in the Olympic quarterfinals, the two hugged.
The embrace closes an era. Two generations of Spanish tennis stars lost 0-2 in 1 hour and 38 minutes.
At 38, Nadal leaves his Olympic career behind. There will be no more Olympic Village, no more parades, no more summer battles in the biggest sporting event on the planet.
Nadal and Alcaraz comfort each other
It was the first major farewell for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who is considering whether to extend his career, as long as his body allows.
No more top matches. After the final individual dance with Novak Djokovic, the final team dance ended with Alcaraz - his own heir.
Total failure
In the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics tennis team event, Nadal and Alcaraz quickly discovered a giant wall in front of them.
Krajicek and Ram surged forward, attacking close to the net with such force that Nadal and Alcaraz were taken aback. The fourth-seeded Americans were a wall, handling everything quickly and in sync.
Nadal's failed efforts
It was difficult to find gaps in the perfect combination between Krajicek and Ram. They dominated every area of the pitch, controlled space and dominated the game.
The difference is evident in the way the Americans move a lot and in a logical way. They know their moves by heart and coordinate very well. This is something that the “Nadalcaraz” pair, who have little time together, cannot imitate.
The first set ended 6-2 in favor of Krajicek and Ram, who knew where to place their bodies and rackets, and how to counter shots from the other side of the court.
Nadal looked to turn things around in the second set on serve. The parity did not last long. Their opponents attacked the space at great speed, forcing Alcaraz into a number of errors.
Nadal ends Olympic career in tears
Before the Olympics, Nadal and Alcaraz had only played six doubles matches together. Therefore, both had to endure the strong shots of their opponents.
The oxygen ran out sooner than expected. In some shots where Nadal used his veteran's effort and 14-time Roland Garros winner's mentality to put pressure on his opponent, Alcaraz was somewhat hesitant and did not handle the ball effectively.
Alcaraz's problem is not so difficult to understand. He had a marathon day. In the morning, the Wimbledon champion had a 1 hour and 30 minute men's singles match with Roman Safiullin (6-4, 6-2).
“For me, a phase has ended,” Nadal said. From Athens to Paris, his Olympic journey ended in the French capital with doubles. Exactly two decades ago, he began his Olympic journey with Carlos Moya.
Vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nadal-khoc-chia-tay-olympic-ket-thuc-mot-trieu-dai-2307579.html
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