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Tag: Court Philippe-Chatrier

  • Olympic moment of the day: The love story between Rafael Nadal and Paris

    Olympic moment of the day: The love story between Rafael Nadal and Paris

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    Roland Garros, Paris (CNN) — It’s a love affair that began almost 20 years ago and the passion clearly hasn’t fizzled out at all.

    Paris and Rafael Nadal are a match made in heaven. And for a brief spell in the second set of the Olympic men’s singles tennis tournament’s most anticipated match between the Spaniard and his longtime rival Novak Djokovic, it seemed like it might be enough to spur the 14-time French Open champion to a comeback that seemed impossible just minutes before.

    What started out as the most highly-anticipated match of these Olympics quickly threatened to turn into a snoozer. Djokovic wildly outplayed Nadal in the opening set and the beginning of the second, looking unstoppable with a 6-1 first set and going up 4-0 in the second.

    The roars from Court Philippe-Chatrier in support of Nadal winners and the chants of “Rafa! Rafa!” had gone from a roar to a plea. Sweat poured from the King of Clay’s brow in between games and he looked no match for the Serb’s power and speed.

    But when Nadal took the fifth game of the second set, time seemed to suddenly roll back.

    When Djokovic sent the ball into the net, the crowd cheered. Djokovic double faulted in the next game to give Nadal a break point, the crowd roared. And as Nadal took the next two games, Roland Garros exploded in unison as it tried one more time to carry its favorite champion.

    “I always feel like playing at home when I play here,” Nadal said afterward. “It’s so special for me. I enjoyed the fans, and they gave me the advantage at the moment that things started to change a little bit, so I can’t thank enough all the people here who, you know, made me feel so special.”

    It’s a relationship developed over the years and covered in glory. Nadal’s performances on the red Parisian clay are the stuff of legend and he dominated the French Open like no other man in history.

    Over those 19 years of playing at this famous stadium, a relationship has been built between the Spaniard and the Paris crowds who pack the stands. On Monday, Djokovic was cheered.

    But Nadal? He was loved.

    “This, for me, is amazing to have and to have the feeling that I feel very, very well supported and loved. It’s the most important place of my career,” the 22-time grand slam champion said.

    In the end, it wasn’t enough. Djokovic took the final two games of the second set and continued his quest in search of his first gold medal: the one honor his extraordinary career lacks.

    Nadal will still be playing in the Paris Games, teaming with fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles competition.

    The Spanish legend is reluctant to say that he’s done playing at Roland Garros or playing against Djokovic. When asked about retirement after the match, he seemed frustrated with the question.

    “Every day? Every day you want me to retire, every day, guys,” Nadal said.

    “You know, I am trying to do my best every single day, you know? … I cannot live every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be or not going to be my last match,” Nadal said.

    “I come here, I try my best, I play my best, and when I decide to stop playing or when I decide to keep going, I will let you know. I don’t know, I just try my best every single day trying to enjoy a thing that I have been enjoying for so much time.

    “I have been suffering a lot of injuries the last two years, so if I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically I’m not enough ready to keep going, I will stop and I will let you know, you know?”

    A prolonged standing ovation for the Spaniard marked his exit from the court on Monday. It certainly seems that Paris isn’t ready for its romance with Nadal to fade away just yet.

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    CNN

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  • Olympic moment of the day: Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, tennis’ new favorite double act

    Olympic moment of the day: Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, tennis’ new favorite double act

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    Roland Garros, Paris (CNN) — After all these years, Rafael Nadal is still finding new ways to win matches on his favorite tennis court.

    His latest victory on the French clay came alongside Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics, and together they formed a dream pairing – a two-for-the-price-of-one ticket for tennis fans and a moment that could only really happen at the Olympics.

    For close to two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier – the site of Nadal’s 14 French Open titles and Alcaraz’s first just last month – the crowd fell hard for “Nadalcaraz,” providing frenzied support during the Spanish duo’s 7-6(7-4) 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Máximo González and Andrés Molteni.

    Saturday’s match was a rare opportunity to see two of the game’s biggest names, each at opposite ends of their career, on the same side of the net: Nadal with all the experience and sparkle of his 22 grand slam titles, and Alcaraz with his flourishing career and high-octane style of play.

    The victory against two seasoned doubles players was by no means easy, likely a sign of the limited time that Nadal and Alcaraz have spent training and playing together. But it was nonetheless an entertaining introduction to tennis’ new favorite double act.

    “It’s been an emotional night, an electrifying night, an amazing crowd,” Nadal told reporters. “Playing with Carlos on this court has been so special. We’re just super happy about the victory, that it’s given us the chance to keep going.”

    Nadal had already taken center stage at this year’s Olympics, chosen as one of the final torchbearers for Friday night’s opening ceremony.

    Less than 24 hours later, he was out on court putting on a different kind of show alongside Alcaraz, displaying sharpness and a deft touch at the net. The crowd in Philippe-Chatrier chanted his name throughout the contest, and one of the loudest roars came when he celebrated winning match point by pumping a ball into the stands.

    “Yesterday was a super emotional moment for me too and I can’t thank Paris and France enough for giving me that honor,” said Nadal. “The emotion’s still very high, so just enjoying every single moment.”

    The teams traded breaks of serve at the start of the Saturday’s match before becoming locked in a tight and lengthy first set. It wasn’t until midway through the first-set tie-break, following chants of “allez Les Blues” with the news that France had won gold in the rugby seven, that Nadal and Alcaraz edged ahead.

    Three straight points gave them a 6-3 lead, and Nadal seized the opening with a powerful backhand return down the line to conclude the set.

    That advantage looked to be disappearing as González and Molteni broke Nadal’s serve to take a 3-0 lead, but the Spaniards responded in style, reeling off the next 12 points in a row to get back on level terms at 3-3.

    Another break of serve followed two games later, which Alcaraz had engineered with a cross-court backhand, before Nadal was able to serve out for the match.

    The 21-year-old Alcaraz, playing alongside one of his childhood idols, is on a stunning run of form having won titles at the French Open and Wimbledon in the past two months. He kicked off his Olympics singles campaign by defeating Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3 6-1 earlier on Saturday.

    That was his first taste of competing at the Olympics, while Nadal is hoping to add to the two golds he has won previously – singles in 2008 and doubles in 2016. Now entering the final stage of his career, it’s as much about enjoying the experience as it is winning titles for the 38-year-old.

    His all-star partnership with Alcaraz has only been a couple of weeks in the making, while González and Molteni, who have played and won titles together multiple times in their long careers, provided a difficult early test.

    “You see Rafa with his experience and charisma,” Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moyá, said before Saturday’s match. “And then you see Carlos, kind of like Rafa was aged 20 or 21, very expressive and effusive … hopefully they can keep going because it’s a partnership that tennis fans can fall in love with.”

    Nadal is still scheduled to play against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on Sunday, despite uncertainty around whether he will compete in the singles draw. If he does, he could face Novak Djokovic in the second round, and had a quick response when asked if he was ready for a last dance against his great rival.

    “Who said last dance?” he shot back. And who can blame him when he’s still winning on his favorite court, all to the applause of thousands of fans?

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    CNN

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  • Iga Świątek continues pursuit of fourth French Open title with semifinal victory against Coco Gauff

    Iga Świątek continues pursuit of fourth French Open title with semifinal victory against Coco Gauff

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    (CNN) — Iga Świątek marched into her fourth French Open final with an impressive 6-2 6-4 victory against American Coco Gauff on Thursday.

    The Polish star will be the strong favorite to win her fifth grand slam title this weekend having extended her winning run to 18 matches in all competitions and 20 at Roland Garros. Against Gauff, Świątek has now been victorious in 11 of their past 12 meetings.

    In Saturday’s final, Świątek could win a third straight French Open title when she faces Italy’s Jasmine Paolini – a feat no woman has achieved since Justine Henin in 2007.

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    George Ramsay and CNN

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