Carlos Alcaraz shared all his concern for Rafael Nadal’s physical conditionon the sidelines of the award ceremony of the National Sports Award, presented to the young Spaniard by King Felipe VI. On the morning of Thursday 4 March, in Spain, Carlitos was the great protagonist of the ceremony organized by the royal family.
The other athlete awarded, by Queen Letizia, was the triathlete Susana Rodriguez. An important recognition for the current ATP No.3 in the world, who is preparing for his clay-court debut at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters next week.
Following the event, Carlitos spoke to the media about his current moment and upcoming scheduled engagements, as well as Nadal. During the press conference, Alcaraz mentioned Rafael Nadal on the possibility of playing doubles with him at the Paris Olympics.
“At the moment I don’t know anything about Nadal’s condition, nor how he is. Being a Spaniard and a follower of tennis, I’m obviously worried. We’ll see how he and I get there in the games, in the end there’s still 4 months to go. Anything can happen but I hope he can happen,” he told.
Now Carlos Alcaraz is ready for clay court tournaments, one in particular.
“The Roland Garros is a super special competition for the Spaniards, for what Rafa has achieved. For me it would be incredible to be able to win, even just once. They are growing: two years ago quarter-finals; last year semi- finals… this year I’ll try to go all the way,” he explained.
DIRECTO 📺 | Los reyes presiden entrega de los Premios Nacionales del Deporte.
El tenista Carlos Alcaraz, Premio Rey Felipe
La triatleta Susana Rodríguez, Premio Reina Letizia pic.twitter.com/SvYNDK7QSx— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) April 4, 2024
Rafael Nadal out of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters
“Hi all, these are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me. And even if I am working hard & making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today.
You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events. The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better. Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!”
With these words, Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, which he should have played thanks to a wild-card granted by the tournament organizers.
¡ Hola a todos! Están siendo tiempos difíciles para mí deportivamente hablando.
Desgraciadamente os comunico que no voy a jugar en Montecarlo. Simplemente mi cuerpo no me deja. pic.twitter.com/oibcC4pBXo— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024
Fans hoped to see him until the end but in the end there was nothing to be done. The Spanish champion has officially announced that he will not take part in the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo, the first major tournament of the clay court season.
Nadal had been working for weeks to return to the court but was unable to take part in the ATP Masters 1000 on US hard-courts and was also forced to say goodbye to the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo.
Through his social accounts, the 22-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments published his intentions and thus extinguished the fans’ hopes.
Rafa posted a video next to the article where he continues to train non-stop and the hope is that he will be available for the next tournaments, starting with the 1000m in Madrid and the Italian Internationals in Rome.
The Spaniard’s goal remains the Roland Garros where the tennis player will try to be there at all costs.
It’s a good idea to have a great time in your life, a good place to be in a bad situation, a great deal in the future, something important to do, a real dream.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024
It’s a good idea to be a patient and a patient, and it’s a good idea to be there in the future. It’s a good thing, it’s a good thing, it’s a good thing.
Un abrazo fuerte a todos y ¡ Gracias por el cariño y apoyo siempre!— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024
Hi all, these are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me. pic.twitter.com/BEi0UUe1au
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024
And even if I am working hard & making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024
The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better.
Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024