Paris 2024 Olympics: Rafael Nadal's storied Olympic path arrives to his "home turf:" The clay of Stade Roland-Garros
"I'm a simple guy," replied Rafael Nadal, the tennis legend, when confronted with questions around the end of his storied career.
It's minutes after Nadal's unfortunate first-round loss at Roland-Garros in late May, but the Spaniard was upbeat - and honest.
"I enjoy what I do: I am passionate about sport; I am passionate about competition," he continued, in speaking with reporters. "I like to practise, I like to play tennis. I'm in a different moment of my personal life too, traveling with my son, wife... I am enjoying these moments that will not come back."
The sporting gods appeared to step in this year, in what Nadal says is likely his last as a pro: Just around the corner comes the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with the tennis event set to be held at Stade Roland-Garros, the same venue where he's won 14 French Open titles, etching himself into the history books as the greatest clay court player of all time.
It will be the ultimate of tests for Nadal, however, as Thursday's (25 July) draw squared him with a potential second-round match with all-time rival Novak Djokovic, should they both win their openers. The two last met on the Olympic stage in a dramatic semi-final at Beijing 2008, which Nadal won... and then proceeded to claim his singles gold.
Regardless of what happens in singles, Nadal will pair up with Carlos Alcaraz in doubles, a pairing that not only has drawn global interest but could threaten for a medal.
Unprepared to call the Olympics his last event, Nadal instead has approached the last few months - which have been riddled with injury and doubt - as he has the rest of the career: Taking one step at a time and not buying into grandiose storylines, whether they be of nightmares... or dreams.
"This is a moment just to keep going," he added on that day, when he fell to Olympic champion Alexander Zverev. "[I] accept the moment, and let's see what's [coming next].'"
It's an unprecedented season in many ways, including for the Olympic tennis event itself, which returns to clay for the first time since Barcelona 1992. It gives Nadal, now 38, the opportunity to have the most golden of send-offs - Olympic medal included or not.
Rafael Nadal and the Olympics: A storied past
Nadal has remained open to the possibility that he could, indeed, keep playing on after the Olympics. But 2024 has been a challenge after injury took him out for the majority of 2023. He's won 11 of 17 matches played, and after Roland-Garros he skipped Wimbledon, opting to play a small ATP event in Sweden last week on clay.
He made the final there, beating two top 50 players en route. There were encouraging signs for Nadal that his Olympic run could be an epic one.
Nadal has has a storied past at the Games, winning singles gold in his debut in 2008, beating Djokovic in that memorable semi-final 6-4 1-6 6-4 before triumphing over the reigning Olympic bronze medallist, Fernando Gonzalez, in three sets in a best-of-five final.
"A win here for me is, well, unbelievable, no?" a 22-year-old Nadal said in Beijing. "I know how difficult it is [to] win these things, and especially because you only have one chance every four years. The reason I won this title is because I have a fantastic time, enjoying a lot in the village. Thank you very much all the Spanish athletes for coming every day to supporting me. That was amazing experience for me."
The win not only earned him an Olympic gold, it also catapulted him to world No.1 for the first time, supplanting Roger Federer from the top spot for the first time since mid-2004.
Was Beijing was amazing, Nadal missed out on London 2012 due to tendinitis in his knee. He returned to the Olympic stage at Rio 2016, where he suffered a rarity: After making the semi-finals, he lost two matches in a row. First to Juan Martin Del Potro in the semi-finals and then to Nishikori Kei in the bronze medal match.
Nadal would rebound from that disappointment with one of the most emotional wins of his career: He and close friend Marc López claimed the doubles gold, allowing Nadal to join Nicolas Massu as the only man to win both singles and doubles golds in the modern Olympic era.
Nadal set for memorable doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz
Could that doubles title with Lopez be a harbinger for what's to come in Paris, too?
When Nadal announced his time away from the sport last May to have surgery and recuperate for 2024, there were already whispers circulating of a dream-like doubles pairing with his Spanish compatriot, the 21-year-old Alcaraz, who has won four of the last eight majors in the men's game, including back-to-back crowns at the French Open and Wimbledon in the last couple of months.
“It would be a dream," Alcaraz said last June. "Not only to win a medal at singles or doubles, but just to live the experience of playing a doubles with your idol, would be a memory that I would keep with special affection."
That dream has become reality, with Spanish captain David Ferrer confirming the pairing last month.
While there is no doubt that Rafa will eye a deep run in singles, he and Alcaraz will have a healthy shot at going deep in doubles, too, as not all top doubles pairings on the ATP Tour play in single-nation combos. The reigning Olympic champions, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, lead the draw.
Regardless of the tennis itself, Nadal stepping onto Court Philippe Chatrier for one final - it is believed - time over the Olympic week will showcase something truly inspiring.
There has never been, nor will there ever be again, another athlete quite like Rafa.