Tennis

David Ferrer, the team captain of the Spanish team in the (upcoming) Summer Olympics, confirmed that Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champion, and Rafael Nadal, the 14-time winner at Roland Garros, will play together in Paris. Alcaraz and Nadal, along with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pablo Careno Busta, will be the four Spaniards competing in the men’s singles event. Will Nadal hang up his tennis racket after the Olympics? In light of recent Rafael Nadal news, the answer is probably yes.

“The 2024 Olympics in Paris would be a nice end to my career if I feel good,” Nadal said during a recent interview.

Nadal had success in the past Olympics, winning the gold medal in the men’s singles (in 2008) and then the gold (medal) in men’s doubles (in 2016). (Spain’s Marc Lopez and Rafael defeated Romania’s Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau in the gold-medal match.) The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will be held at Roland Garros, the scene of Nadal’s greatest triumph. However, the Spaniard had a few matches under his belt this season. He lost to Alexander Zverev, the eventual finalist, in the first round of the French Open. He’ll skip Wimbledon. It’s not an encouraging sign, though.

Nadal endured multiple injuries in his illustrious career, and his 38-year-old body couldn’t take it anymore. Tennis fans must still be thankful. (A recurring wrist injury forced Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, to retire at the end of the season.) There are reports that Nadal will appear in the 2024 Laver Cup, which will be held in San Francisco. The outcome of the Olympics might change it. In fact, it’s possible that Nadal will only compete in the men’s doubles event.

It’s highly likely that 2024 is Nada’s final season. He said that the door would be open for next season, but fans won’t count on him playing in an ATP 250 event (or an ATP Challengers Event). The Paris is likely to be his final event, a reminder that his record in the French Open, and clay courts, would remain unbroken for decades. (Alcaraz’s forearm injury is not a good sign.) Nadal is a sure Hall of Famer, leaving the game with an impressive list of records.

The Spaniard surpassed Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam singles titles (until Novak Djokovic broke the tie last year.) Andre Agassi and Nadal are the only players to complete a career Golden Slam in men’s singles. (A career Golden Slam is the achievement of winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and an Olympic gold medal during his career.) Djokovic and Nadal are the only players to have won 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles or more. (There are 9 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

These tournaments sat below the 4 Grand Slam tournaments and the year-end ATP Finals. These are the most coveted trophies in the ATP Tour.) And he has the longest single-surface winning streak in matches (81).

Nadal’s appearance would excite the fans, but they won’t go back to Roland Garros (if an early departure would happen). The 2024 Summer Olympics is sandwiched between Wimbledon and the US Open. And that the matches will be played on red clay. Predicting the winners would be hard, but fun. Why? Let'st go back to the 1992 Olympics.

The Games of the XXV Olympiad was held in Barcelona. The matches were played in the red clay courts, and the results surprised fans and pundits alike; no one predicted Marc Rosset to win the gold medal. Boris Becker and Michael Stich, two exceptional grass-court players, won the gold in men's doubles. Last but not the least, Jennifer Capriati made her breakthrough in the women’s singles. (Who would have thought that Steffi Graf, who won the Golden Slam in 1988, would settle for bronze?)

Here's our picks:

Men's singles

• Gold: Stefanos Tsitipas (Greece)
• Silver: Casper Ruud (Norway)
• Bronze: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

Carlos Alcaraz lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Trophy) for the first time, becoming the first (male) player to win the semifinals and finals of the French Open in five sets since 1962. Rod Laver was the man who did it, prompting many fans to wonder if Carlos Alcaraz could achieve a calendar Grand Slam. A career Grand Slam is likely, but winning all four major tournaments in a calendar year is anyone's guess. 

Roland Garros will be the venue of the Summer Olympics, but it will be held several weeks after Wimbledon. Alcaraz will defend his Wimbledon title. The Spaniard's forearm injury seemed to be behind him, but his fitness would be put to a stern test this summer. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Ruud have their best results on clay. Both reached the finals of the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. And they are favored to play for the gold medal. Both are fit and healthy. Both are seeking redemption from falling a bit short at the French Open. Tsitsipas, the winner of the 2019 ATP Finals, is eager for another breakthrough.

Jannik Sinner reached the semifinals of the French Open, but the transition from grass to clay can hurt his chances. Novak Djokovic's knee injury, which happened during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo (at Roland Garros), would cast doubt over his chances of winning an Olympic medal. (Please check tennis news today.)

Women's singles

• Gold: Iga Swiatek (Poland)
• Silver: Coco Gauff (USA)
• Bronze: Jasmine Paolini (Italy)

Injury would prevent Iga Swiatek from winning the gold medal in the women's singles, and that is unlikely to happen very soon. She dominated the clay-court swing in Europe (last spring), and winning a gold medal is a certainty. 

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been dominant in the hard courts, but they have moderate success on red clay. Coco Gauff, the 2022 French Open runner-up, is likely to meet Iga Swiatek in the gold medal-match. Don’t expect an upset, though. Jasmine Paolini had a great run in the French Open, but veteran Caroline Garcia could delight local fans (and reach the medal round). 

Filipino fans are wondering about junior standout Alex Eala. She's still a work in progress. She has a greater chance of success in the hard courts, so she should be a medal contender in the 2028 Summer Games (in Los Angeles).

Men's doubles

• Gold: Simone Bolleli and Andrea Vavasorri (Italy)
• Silver: Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen (Belgium)
• Bronze: Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski (Poland)

Simone Bolleli and Andrea Vavasorri reached the finals of the Australian Open and the French Open, and it won’t end there. The Olympic gold medal is theirs to lose. (Most of their strongest competitors don’t play for the same flag.)

Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, the current Monte Carlo Masters champion, are the likely opponents of Bolleli and Vavassori in the gold-medal match. They might be edged out in the super tiebreaker. Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski, the 2023 Italian Open champion, are favored to reach the final four (and win the bronze medal). 

Doubles fans would wonder if Nicolas Mahut and Eduard Roger-Vasellin could win an Olympic medal. It's highly probable that the French duo could reach the semifinals, but they would fall short to their younger, and sharper, opponents. Mahut wanted to add the Olympic gold medal to his trophy collection, but it's not meant to be. (Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert are the fifth pair to achieve the career Grand Slam in the Open Era. They won the ATP Finals twice.)  What about Alcaraz and Nadal? Your guess is as good as mine.

Women's doubles

• Gold:  Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
• Silver: Hsieh Su-wei and Chan Hao-ching (Taiwan)
• Bronze: Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Matek-Sand (USA)

Sara Errani was once the top-ranked doubles player. Jasmin Paolini's consistency amazed fans. They reached the finals of the women's doubles (in Roland Garros), so they're the team to beat in the Olympics. The veteran pair of Hsieh Su-wei and Chan Hao-ching are highly favored to reach the finals while the American pair of Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Matek-Sand could make it past the quarterfinals. 

Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic were once the top-ranked doubles team (in the world). The French pair would benefit from the number of team switching partners late last year, but their best days seem to be behind them. (Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova will defend their Olympic title in Paris. Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open, and Siniakova, who won the women’s doubles last summer, were the dominant pair these last few seasons. But the Czech pair won’t be the favorites.)

Mixed doubles

• Gold: Austin Krajicek and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
• Silver:  Tim Putz and Laura Siegemund (Germany)
• Bronze: Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez (Australia)

Andrey Rublev and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won the mixed doubles gold at the Tokyo Olympics. But Rublev begged off due to the long, grueling season. Bethanie Matek-Sands won the mixed doubles gold at Rio de Janeiro (with Jack Sock). She can win her second Olympic gold medal with Austin Krajicek, another outstanding doubles player (from the US). Not a few fans won't seeTim Putz and Laura Siegemund as medal contenders. Let's not forget that Siegemund was the reason behind Germany winning the United Cup early this year. And she and Vasellin won the mixed doubles title (in Roland Garros). The Aussie pair of Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez would have been sure winners in the hard courts. But not on red clay. Reaching the semifinals is a certainty. 

The other (possible) pairs to watch out are Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic), Nicolas Mahut and Caroline Garcia (France), and Simone Bolleli and Jasmine Paolini (Italy). (Don't miss the latest tennis news and results.)

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