Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal were knocked out of the Olympics men’s doubles tennis quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The Spanish duo, who have 26 Grand Slams titles between them, lost 2-6 4-6 to American pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
They were by far the toughest doubles opponent the high-profile duo have faced so far.
Both have reached No. 1 in the world and Ram has four men’s doubles Grand Slam titles, while Krajicek won the French Open doubles last year.
And their experienced showed when thry dominated the first set, winning 6-2, but an improved second set from Nadal and Alcaraz meant it looked like the match was heading for a tie-break.
Who’s cutting onions? 🥹
Rafael Nadal waves farewell to the Olympics 👋#PARIS2024 PIC.TWITTER.COM/M4V4UAVGNA
— Eurosport (@eurosport) JULY 31, 2024
But the United States pair eventually progressed after coming back from two break points in a hotly-contested final game.
It was likely Nadal’s final appearance at Roland Garros, with the 14-time French Open champion set to retire after indicating he will update on his future after the tournament.
The 38-year-old and his partner, who won this year’s French Open, were heavily backed by supporters and were given a rapturuous applause even after defeat.
