Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will be on the plane to the 2024 Paris Olympics to represent Spain, according to a report by Marca.
At this moment, Nadal and Alcaraz do not meet one of the eligibility requirements to play at the Olympic Games next year. Players must be nominated in the Davis Cup team and be present in the tie on a minimum of two occasions in one Olympic cycle.
Nadal and Alcaraz have not met this requirement, but they will likely use the backdoor to get entry into the 2024 Games. Alcaraz has represented Spain at the Davis Cup once before (2022) and would have needed to play for his country at next year’s Qualifiers, having skipped the 2023 edition.
But because Spain have been awarded a wild card into the Davis Cup Finals group stage in 2024, scheduled to commence in early September, it means he can’t attain the minimum number of playing for his country on two occasions in one Olympic cycle.
Meanwhile, Nadal hasn’t played competitive tennis since January 2023 due to a hip injury. His last appearance at the Davis Cup was in 2019. Marca reports that the ITF’s decision to hand Spain a wild card into the Davis Cup gives the pair a substantial boost to enter the Olympics tennis event.
Nadal and Alcaraz will each need to submit a letter through the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation to explain their reasons why they could not represent Spain at the Davis Cup. 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal has grounds to argue his case, having been injured for a considerable amount of time.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, would have played for his country in the qualifiers next February but for the ITF wild card. The duo have spoken fondly about playing doubles together at next year’s tournament, which many believe is going to be Nadal’s farewell tournament.
The 2024 Paris Olympics tennis event will be played at Stade Roland Garros, home to the clay Slam. Nadal owns the record for the most titles at the venue with 14, and it would be a perfect send-off if he intends to bring the curtain down to his storied career next year.
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