unexpected: Carlos Alcaraz declared that he is retiring.

Nadal, who was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz at the Rome Open yesterday, cannot participate in doubles until then, and Alcaraz himself is not in peak condition. The clay surface also poses a challenge; had it been grass and still on the ATP Calendar, Mallorca could have been an option as in the past. However, while it is likely to happen, it may not be fully developed.

Nadal has already indicated that he is unlikely to compete in doubles at Roland Garros, unlike Andy Murray, who is focused on participating in the tournament in the coming months.

“Carlos doesn’t need to ask me anything; if all goes well, we will play. It’s also very exciting for me. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard that this is also the case for him,” said Nadal in Madrid. “So it would be great to play a tournament before the Olympics to prepare and get accustomed to the court. We could have the chance to form a great team and aim for great achievements.”

However, in Rome, he dismissed the possibility of playing with him before then, including at Roland Garros. “It seems unlikely. I don’t know yet. He got injured in Madrid, and I wasn’t in good physical condition to play before. It seems unlikely because there aren’t many tournaments left for us to play together before the Olympics. Only Roland Garros remains, and that won’t be possible. I don’t know about later. It seems unlikely, but let’s wait and see,” Nadal told the media in Rome on Saturday.