Carlos Alcaraz just fulfilled one of his dreams in tennis after playing alongside Rafael Nadal at the Olympics.
Alcaraz was delighted to play with his idol Nadal, with the pair attracting huge crowds at the event in Paris.
But their men’s doubles dream has now been brought to an end, with the duo losing to Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
The American pair emerged victorious in the quarter-final encounter, defeating Alcaraz and Nadal 6-2, 6-4.
The defeat represents Nadal’s final outing for the current Olympics, with the veteran already out of the singles event.
Carlos Alcaraz left confused by Olympic organisers
It certainly wasn’t the dream end Nadal was hoping for, but Spain still have hopes of Olympic gold as Alcaraz prepares for his singles quarter-final.
Boris Becker says Alcaraz has a chance of Olympic gold, but the Spaniard has been left confused by tournament organisers in terms of scheduling.
“You have to accept things as they come,” Alcaraz said after the loss, as quoted by Marca. “I don’t know why they gave me that time, I don’t know if it’s because there is someone who has to play two matches.
“We’re going to try to rest as much as possible now to see if I can get a few decent hours of sleep and then tomorrow we’ll be focused on continuing to move forward and giving our best.
“I know that if we play great tennis we have a chance of achieving our goal, which is to bring a medal to Spain.”
Can Carlos Alcaraz win Olympic gold?
Alcaraz and Nadal played some superb tennis on the clay courts in the French capital, with their chemistry clear for all to see.
But in the end it wasn’t enough to make it into the latter stages, with the dream duo now going their separate ways.
Nadal now has a decision to make regarding his likely retirement, with Alcaraz only just getting his exciting career going.
A gold medal in Paris would continue his stunning season so far, with the 21-year-old having just won the French Open and Wimbledon.
But it won’t be easy, with Nadal’s fellow veteran Novak Djokovic remaining in the singles competition in France.
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