Rafael Nadal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games: When is he playing? Is he seeded? Is he playing with Carlos Alcaraz?
Updated 25/07/2024 at 11:07 GMT+1
Rafael Nadal is set to play the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for Spain. The 38-year-old will be competing in the singles and also the doubles, forming a blockbuster partnership with French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. When is Nadal playing at the Games, will he be seeded and is he retiring this year? We run through everything you need to know about Nadal in Paris.
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Rafael Nadal could be playing his final tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner was on clay ahead of the Games as he reached the final of the Swedish Open, losing to Nuno Borges.
He will now head to Paris to play at Roland-Garros, where he has won 14 major titles.
When is Spain's Nadal playing at the Olympics? When is he playing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz? And is he retiring after the Olympics?
When is Nadal playing at the Olympics?
Nadal faces Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the opening round of the singles.
If Nadal wins that could face a blockbuster clash against Novak Djokovic, who starts against Australia's Matthew Ebden.
It would be the first meeting between Djokovic and Nadal since the 2022 French Open quarter-finals, when Nadal won in four sets.
The singles and doubles draws start on Saturday, July 27. Nadal will play his opening singles match on either July 27 or 28.
The men’s singles final takes place on Sunday, August 4.
Nadal is also playing in the men’s doubles for Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
The pair will play their first match against Argentina's Gonzalez Maximo and Molteni Andres on either July 27 or 28.
Nadal said at the Swedish Open he was “not happy” with his level, but expects French Open and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz to be at his best.
"I'm really looking forward to being part of the Olympic team and representing Spain. This is the most important event in sport. I hope I can find the energy I need and do some good training," Nadal said.
"If I manage to play good tennis, I will also do so in doubles, but I must analyse well what happened this week and work hard.
"I am convinced that Carlos will be at a great level because he is coming in with confidence. We will train together this week."
Will Nadal be seeded for the Olympics?
Nadal is using a protected ranking to enter the Olympics. A protected ranking is given to players who have been out for a significant period of time, allowing them to enter tournaments that their current ranking wouldn’t allow.
However, although Nadal is using a protected ranking of nine to enter the Olympics, he will not be among the 16 seeds in the singles draw.
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Players who use protected rankings to enter are not given seeded spots.
Instead, Nadal will be unseeded, which means he could face anyone in the first round, including doubles partner Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
The seedings for the doubles will be confirmed before the draw on Thursday.
Is Nadal retiring after the Olympics?
After undergoing surgery last year, Nadal has previously suggested that this will be his final season on tour.
However, he has not closed the door on returning in 2025.
Asked at the French Open whether he will play the Grand Slam again, he said: "As I said, it's a big, big chance that it's going to be my last Roland-Garros, but if I have to tell you it's 100 per cent my last Roland-Garros, sorry, but I will not, because I cannot predict what's going on. I hope you understand.”
Nadal is on the entry list for the US Open, which starts on August 26, and is set to play the Laver Cup in Berlin from September 20-22.
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The 38-year-old has only played the hard-court US Open once since 2019.
He says he will not make a decision on his participation until after the Olympics.
“I needed to book to have the chance to decide after that, that’s as simple as that. Nothing changed for me.Â
“I’m going to decide what’s going on after Olympics.Â
“By the way, I will be playing in the Laver Cup, but I am, to be clear, and to not create false expectations, I am not sure at all to be in New York or not.
“No decision today and the decision will not happen before the end of Olympics.”
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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