Rafael Nadal & Carlos Alcaraz move closer to Paris Olympics 2024 qualification after ITF wildcard: Reports

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have been given a shot in the arm in their quest to participate at the 2024 Paris Olympics, if reports emerging from Spain are to be believed.

As reported by Marca on Sunday, the ITF (International Tennis Federation) has given a wildcard to the Spanish Davis Cup team, along with Great Britain, to participate in the group stage of next year's edition. This decision by the ITF board would also likely help Alcaraz and Nadal gain entry to the Olympics next year.

In their current state, the Spanish duo do not meet the requirements of playing at the Davis Cup for their home country in 2023 and 2024.

Marca further clarified that Nadal and Alcaraz would now have to submit a letter to the ITF through the RTEF (Royal Spanish Tennis Federation), explaining why they could not represent their country in 2023.

Nadal will have to submit a medical report detailing his long injury lay-off. Alcaraz, meanwhile, may have to contend that he was planning to represent Spain at the Davis Cup playoff, which has now been canceled because of the wildcard.

Tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place at Roland Garros, where Rafael Nadal holds the record for the most titles (14). Alcaraz, on the other hand, has reached one semifinal at the venue, falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in 2023.

"It would be a good motivation" - Rafael Nadal on possibility of playing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal Comeback Tennis

Rafael Nadal, who is likely to hang up his racquet next year, commented a few weeks ago on the possibility of playing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He said he would be very much interested in participating one last time at the event.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion also touched on the chances of partnering Carlos Alcaraz in doubles, remarking that it would be another motivation for him to play at the Olympics in his final year on tour.

"As for the Games, on a personal level, I would like to play them one more time," Nadal said. "Everyone knows that I have always been a lover of Games. I have lived incredible moments of coexistence, of seeing what sport is in its pure essence."

"Regarding the fact of playing doubles with Carlos, I have not had the slightest conversation with him in that regard," he added. "But I would also like and it would be a good motivation, another incentive for me to be able to close my Olympic cycle playing with Carlos, with everything he is achieving, with the young people and with the great future he has ahead of him."