Rafael Nadal paid tribute to his family after securing a hard-fought victory with Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal paid an emotional homage to his wife and children following his latest Olympic victory.
Despite making it through the first two rounds of the men’s doubles, the 38-year-old admitted to “suffering” with Carlos Alcaraz.
Although Nadal has not been able to spend time with his family during the Paris 2024 Games, his wife, Mery Perello, and their little son have been in the stands cheering him on during the challenging matches. And the 22-time Grand Slam winner revealed what it meant to him.
“He’s too little to have any idea. He’s just having fun,” he remarked of Rafael Junior. “Things are always beautiful when you have the family with you.”
Nadal hopes his youngster will grasp what he is viewing. But he understands it will be difficult. He went on to say, “It’ll be great to play with him watching me and knowing a little bit about what’s going on, but it seems difficult to do because he’s not even two years old yet.”
“They enjoy traveling with me; even if I can’t spend time with them because I’m in the village, I’m fortunate that they are willing to travel with me when I’m not in the Olympics. Even after the match, spending 15 minutes with them gives me a lot, so that’s crucial to me right now.”
Nadal’s wife and son were on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday to watch him lose in straight sets to long-time rival Novak Djokovic in the singles tournament. They returned the following day, when he and Alcaraz defeated Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands in a set tiebreak, 6-4 6-7(2) [10-2].
‘Nadalcaraz’ has advanced to the quarterfinals and is one win away from fighting for a medal. However, things have not gone smoothly.
“We had fun because the tiebreaker resulted in a favorable score. “We’ve been suffering, but we’re having fun playing together,” remarked two-time gold medalist Rafael Nadal.
“We’re creating good synergies and energy, so we’re having fun overall. We have a nice relationship outside of the court, which helps inside. We are pleased to be in the quarterfinals, which brings us closer to our goals. Let’s stay focused.”
