Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz begin their fight for gold medals at the Paris Olympics

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz competed against each other for the first time, winning at the Olympic Games in Paris! The Spanish duo enjoyed the support of the audience on the Philippe-Chatrier court and defeated sixth seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6, 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes, moving on to the second round.

They traded early breaks in the first set, with Nadal and Alcaraz taking a break in the tie to give them a boost. The Argentines responded early in the second set, taking a 3-0 advantage before losing six of the next seven games.

Rafa and Carlos shifted into high gear and grabbed breaks in the fifth and ninth sets to seal the deal in straight sets and conserve their energy. World No. 2 Alcaraz enjoyed a memorable day on Court Philippe-Chatrier, notching up his first Olympic singles victory earlier in the day and securing another triumph over one of the greatest players of all time.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz won the Olympic Games.

Nadal and Alcaraz broke each other at the beginning of every set.

They managed to rally back and seal the deal with three returns to their name, playing better in the crucial moments and sending the 6th seed ahead. Gonzalez landed a forehand return winner in the first game of the match, stealing Alcaraz’s serve and sending his team into the lead.

Maximo double-faulted in the second game, losing serve and bringing the Spaniards back to the positive side. Carlos played another loose service game at 2-2. Despite this, he and Rafa failed to earn two break points and held on, staying on the positive side.

They served well in the remaining games, with Gonzalez landing a winning volley in game 12 to force a tiebreak. There were no mini-breaks in the first six points before the Spaniards earned a mini-break on a lucky net for 4-3.

Nadal forced Molteni’s error with a shot in the ninth point, earning Spain three set points. The red team converted the second to 6-4 after Rafael’s winning return, gaining a huge boost and approaching the finish line.

The Argentines made two comfortable holds early in the second set and broke their opponents in the second game after catching a Nadal error. Carlos held on for the tie in the fourth game, and they regained the break minutes later after a terrible Molteni smash.

The Spaniards kept the tie in the sixth game, after a winning goal by Alcaraz at the net, and in the next game they won more break points, forcing their rivals to the limits of their endurance.

Gonzalez and Molteni survived three break points and found the decisive hold that allowed them to stay alive.

Nadal and Alcaraz held the game tied for the third time in a row in the eighth set, keeping the pressure on the other side. Molteni served for the ninth set and wasted a match point. Rafa won a point for Spain and created a break chance, and Carlos converted it with a backhand crosscourt return winner.

Nadal served out Spain to a 5-4 victory and scored the winning smash to earn two match points. Alcaraz converted the second into a winning volley at the net, and the two great champions began to celebrate.