Rafael Nadal paid an emotional tribute to his wife and son after securing a tough victory with Carlos Alcaraz at the Olympics.
Despite advancing through the first two rounds in men’s doubles, the 38-year-old admitted that he and Alcaraz had been “suffering.” Although Nadal couldn’t stay with his family during the Paris 2024 Games, his wife Mery Perello and their young son have been cheering him on from the stands. The 22-time Grand Slam champion shared what this support means to him.
“He’s not old enough to have any idea. He’s just having fun,” Nadal said of his son Rafael Junior. “Things are always beautiful when you have the family with you.”
Nadal hopes his son will eventually understand what he’s watching, but acknowledges that might be challenging. “It’ll be great to play with him watching me and knowing a little bit what’s going on, but it seems it’s difficult to make that happen because he’s not even two years old yet,” he added.
Despite not being able to spend much time with them, Nadal appreciates the brief moments he can share with his family after matches. “They are happy traveling with me, even though I cannot spend time with them because I’m in the village. But I’m lucky they are ready to travel with me when I’m not in the Olympics. And even here after the match, spending 15 minutes with them gives me a lot, so that’s important for me now.”
Nadal’s wife and son were present at Court Philippe-Chatrier to watch him face his long-time rival Novak Djokovic in the singles on Monday, where he lost in straight sets. They returned the next day to see him and Alcaraz beat Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands in a match tiebreak 6-4, 6-7(2), [10-2].
“Nadalcaraz” are now through to the quarter-final and are one win away from the chance to compete for a medal. However, it hasn’t been an easy journey.
