Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz thrilled the crowd at Roland Garros as they began their Olympic Games doubles campaign with a straight-sets victory over Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Saturday.
Playing under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier, the Spanish duo won 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in front of a packed and enthusiastic audience.
Earlier in the day, Alcaraz had started his singles campaign with a straight-sets win over Hady Habib. The 21-year-old expressed it was a “dream” to play alongside his compatriot Nadal.
The pair received a standing ovation on the same court where Nadal has won 14 French Open titles, and Alcaraz claimed his first title just last month.
Nadal, who previously won Olympic singles gold in 2008 and doubles gold in 2016 in Rio, played with his right thigh bandaged, an injury that could affect his singles competition, where Novak Djokovic looms as a potential second-round opponent.
Gonzalez and Molteni, the sixth seeds, were met with boos from the crowd, following a recent racism controversy involving Argentina and France.
The match started poorly for the Spanish pair as Alcaraz was broken in the first game. This was not surprising, given that he had not played doubles on the tour since 2022.
Nadal’s experience was crucial, helping them quickly recover the break with sharp reflexes at the net. The duo reached three set points in the tiebreaker, and Nadal secured the set with a precise down-the-line backhand.
Despite falling behind 0-3 in the second set, Nadal and Alcaraz fought back to level the score. Nadal then made a decisive break with a powerful backhand return, allowing them to lead 5-4 and serve for the match.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, served for the match, and victory was sealed when Alcaraz hit a winning forehand while crouching at the net.
