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Rafael Nadal and Carlitos Alcaraz will need to request an exemption to be able to play at the Paris Olympics 2024. In fact, their presence at next year's Olympics is at risk and the two Spanish champions, at present, have zero chances to play on the Roland Garros Stadium, home of the Olympic tournament.
According to Olympic rules, only those who have played at least one Davis Cup preliminaries in the Olympic year or in the previous can get the qualification for the main draw of the Olympic tournament. Spain has received a wild card to immediately advance to the Davis Cup group stage: this means both Alcaraz and Nadal will not have the February qualifying window available: this way they will have no chance of qualifying.
Marca showed a possible solution for Nadal and Alcaraz
According to Marca, however, there would be a loophole to solve the problem and allow the participation of the two athletes in Paris. The Spanish Federation and the two tennis players will have to send a letter to the ITF, asking for an exception and justifying their absence from the Davis Cup.
Rafa, according to what Marca reports, will have to present a medical certificate which will serve to justify his absence in the 2023 qualifying rounds The certificate serves to testify to the problems that the Spaniard had during the season, and which compromised his participation in the Davis Cup matches (Nadal missed the entire year, due to the serious injury suffered at the 2023 Australian Open - ed.
). Carlitos will have to justify the letter with the wild card obtained from Spain, which allows the team to qualify directly for the final phase of the Davis Cup, skipping the qualifiers to be held at the beginning of 2024.
In a recent interview, the 22-time Slam champion opened to play a possible Olympic double with his young countryman: "Obviously it would be a dream for me to play doubles with him in Paris. So it depends on both of us. Until Paris there are many months in which anything can happen.
I have to be healthy, work hard and be ready to compete at the Olympics. It's the same for him. I would like it and it would be a good motivation, a further stimulus for me, to be able to close my Olympic cycle playing with Carlos. Let's see how it goes. But, I repeat, it would be a dream."