ナダル、ダブルス敗退でパリ五輪終了 最後のローラン・ギャロスか

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】パリ五輪は３１日、テニス男子ダブルス準々決勝が行われ、スペインのラファエル・ナダル／カルロス・アルカラス（Ｃａｒｌｏｓ Ａｌｃａｒａｚ）組は米国の大会第４シード、レジーブ・ラム／オースティン・クライチェク組に２－６、４－６で敗れた。（写真は、パリ五輪、テニス男子ダブルス準々決勝。試合に敗れ、コートを後にするスペインのラファエル・ナダル）
　ナダル／アルカラス組は「ナダルカラス」のニックネームで今大会のテニス競技で大きな注目を集め、１、２回戦では観客を沸かせていたが、この日はともにダブルスを主戦場とし、四大大会（グランドスラム）でも優勝経験のあるラム／クライチェクに屈した。
　第１セットは第１ゲームを含む２ゲームでブレークを喫すると、第２セットは後のない第１０ゲームで３本のブレークポイントを握るなど奮闘したが、最後は２本目のマッチポイントで勝負を決められた。
　ナダルにとっては、これが最多１４回の全仏オープンを果たしたローラン・ギャロスでの現役最後の試合になる可能性があり、最後はコート・フィリップ・シャトリエ全体から拍手を受けながら退場した。
　シングルスでノバク・ジョコビッチ（セルビア）に敗れた後、五輪が終わってから進退について決断を下すと発言していた中、この日の試合後にこれがローラン・ギャロスでの最後の試合かと問われると、「もしかしたらそうなる。分からない」と答え、「もしこれが最後だったとしたら、忘れられない気持ちと感情を経験できた」「観客の人々は自分がコートにいる間、常に愛とサポートをくれた」と話した。
　「自分にとって、特にこの場所でそう感じられるのは非常に特別なんだ。そういう気持ちや感情にさせてくれたすべての人に本当に感謝してもしきれない」
　また、この後に控える全米オープンについては「少し時間が必要だが、難しそうに見える」とコメントし、欠場する可能性が高いことを示唆した。
　一方のアルカラスは、ナダルとダブルスを組めたことについて「忘れられない経験になった。絶対に一生忘れない。ラファとコートの同じ側でプレーし、学びを得ることができた」と語った。
　アルカラスはシングルスでベスト８に勝ち残っており、金メダル獲得の可能性を残している。準々決勝では第９シードのトミー・ポール（米国）と対戦する。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/01-21:58）

Rafael Nadal admitted he may have played at Roland Garros for the final time after he and Carlos Alcaraz were dumped out of the Olympics men's doubles on Wednesday.
The Spanish dream team lost their quarter-final in Paris 6-2, 6-4 to the US fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Nadal and Alcaraz, dubbed Nadalcaraz, have been one of the main talking points at the Paris Games tennis tournament, wowing the crowds in their first two matches.
But they came unstuck in the last eight against doubles specialists Krajicek and Ram, who both have Grand Slam-winning pedigree.
Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, is immortalised with a statue at Roland Garros.
But the 38-year-old has slumped to 161 in the world after a succession of injuries and faces relentless questions over his future.
He said after his painful defeat to Novak Djokovic in the singles competition in Paris that he would make a decision on his future after the Olympics.
The Spaniard -- second on the all-time list in men's tennis with 22 Grand Slams -- walked off Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday applauding all four sides of the stadium.
He was later asked whether he had played at Roland Garros for the final time.
- 'Unforgettable feeling' -
Maybe, I don't know, he said. If that's the last time, for me it's an unforgettable feeling and emotions.
They give me the love and the support every single second that I have been on court.
For me, it's super, super special to feel that, particularly in this place. I can't really thank enough all of them for giving me the feelings that I have inside myself and the emotions that they make me feel.
He also suggested he would probably not play at this year's US Open which he has won four times.
I need some time but for me it looks difficult, he added.
Nadal, who won Olympic singles gold in Beijing in 2008 and doubles gold eight years later in Rio, said it had been a great experience to be part of the Spanish team at the Paris Games.
For me personally it was disappointing to not bring back a medal for Spain but that's it, he said.
I tried my best in every single minute that I was on court but it was not enough to achieve our goals.
And he said the Olympics had a special place in the sporting calendar.
Honestly, the feeling and the emotions that you live at an Olympic Games are difficult to compare with other events because here you feel part of something bigger than only a personal team, he said.
That's an amazing feeling. I feel so lucky that I have been able to win a gold in singles because in the end, it's the most difficult event to win because you have just a few chances in your career. That's the truth.
He added: This time was not possible, but that's it. We tried and the Olympic Games, for me, without a doubt, is the most important event in the world of sport.
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam winner at the age of just 21, is through to the men's singles quarter-finals, in which he is the second seed.
But he said teaming up with Nadal had been unforgettable.
It was an unbelievable experience for me, something that I will never forget, that's for sure, playing on the same side of the net with Rafa, learning from him.