The Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal is gearing up for his final appearance at the Olympics as the quadrennial sporting gala is set to kick off on July 27 in Paris. The 38-year-old has already arrived at the Olympic Village and will be in action for both men’s singles and doubles partnership with young sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
The tennis events will begin on the inaugural day itself, and as the excitement rises, a 16-year-old video of Nadal crying after his 2008 semi-final win has resurfaced on the internet. It was one of his most successful years. He achieved numerous feats, most notably becoming the first player from Spain to win gold in a tennis event at the Olympics.
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Rafa entered the tournament without full fitness. He was extremely fatigued but shrugged off all worries and made a dominant run to the semifinals. He dropped only one set in the first four matches. However, the former World No. 1 had to sweat hard in the knockout against one of his biggest rivals Novak Djokovic.
The bout lasted for nearly 2-hour 10-minute before Nadal emerged victorious. The hard-earned win gave the then-22-year-old immense joy and emotion, which was very evident in an interview. He almost burst out in tears while explaining how tired he felt during the match.
“Hopefully (win gold), but well, at the moment I am just incredibly happy, the objective is reached. To have a medal for me is unbelievable,” Nadal said.
After noticing Nadal choking up, the female interviewer said: “Don’t cry or I will cry too, you can’t do that.”
“I arrived here very tired but in the end I could reach the final,” Rafa concluded.
Watch the old viral video here:
Nadal will enter the Summer Olympics on the back of an impressive campaign at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, finishing as runner-up. Notably, this is his first tour final since winning the 2022 French Open. The 22 Grand Slam winner also participated in doubles with Casper Ruud, where they reached the semifinals.
Also Read: WATCH: Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal dine together at Olympic Village ahead of their doubles partnership
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