Rafael Nadal is a god at the Rolland Garros. The King of Clay Court saw his countryman Carlos Alcaraz lift the French Open title. The two Spaniards under David Ferrer next look to clinch the Olympic gold. However, Rafa maintains that he is training for the singles game. If he is fit for the singles contest, his body can automatically be ready for the doubles contest, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said.
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"I want to play at a high level in singles and I know that if I can do that, I’ll be able to play at a good level in doubles. That’s what I’ve always done: when I’ve played well in singles, I’ve played well in doubles.
"It’s true that I haven’t played doubles for a long time and the ideal thing would have been to play a tournament beforehand, but that wasn’t possible. If Carlos is available and I’m physically fit, I think it would be interesting to train together the week before the Olympics," Nadal told Victor Lengronne.
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Further elaborating on his teaming up with Alcaraz, he said: "...we didn’t really know if I was going to play in the Olympics, or how I was going to get there. Then David Ferrer said to me: “If you’re feeling well, Carlos would like to play doubles with you. Would you be up for it?” Of course, I was delighted! I couldn’t have a better partner than him.
"The Olympics are a team affair. Doubles are almost as important as singles. It’s an opportunity to try and win a medal. That’s the ultimate goal."
Read the full Rafa Nadal interview exclusively in THE WEEK (Available on stands from July 26, 2024)
