Considering all that Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have accomplished and what Alcaraz will achieve, it's difficult to imagine they can further enhance their tennis skills.
Alcaraz commented that he expected the second match to be superior to the first, following his and Nadal's advancement to the men's doubles quarterfinals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. They secured a 6-4, 6-7, 10-2 victory against the Dutch duo of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof on Tuesday, 30 July.
"We have a deeper understanding of each other's game on the court. We know exactly how to complement each other in doubles. It seems like I've embraced more of a doubles player's role."
With 26 Grand Slam titles between them, Nadal and Alcaraz were made to work hard by their Dutch opponents, who kept the match close in the two-hour and 22-minute affair that saw a packed crowd at Roland-Garros.
After the Spaniards dominated and secured the first set, Griekspoor and Koolhof stayed competitive in the second, exchanging games evenly to reach the tiebreak. They capitalized on the first set point to push the match to a crucial third set.
But the match belonged entirely to Nadal and Alcaraz, who quickly surged to a 5-0 lead and maintained their dominance throughout. Griekspoor and Koolhof made efforts, but their opponents refused to yield, clinching victory on the second match point.
Nadal and Alcaraz will face USA's Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on Wednesday, July 31, for a place in the semifinals. However, Nadal, who has returned to the familiar ground where he has won 14 French Open titles, wasn't ready to anticipate too much just yet.
"Well, we enjoyed ourselves because we won the tiebreak," Nadal said. "We've had our struggles, but we're definitely enjoying playing together."
"We are fostering positive synergies with great energy, which makes our overall experience enjoyable. I believe our positive off-court relationship enhances our performance on the court as well."
"We are delighted to have reached the quarterfinals, getting closer to our goal. Let's stay focused. Tomorrow marks another crucial day."
"He has singles matches before his doubles matches. Let's concentrate on the singles first, Carlos, and then I'll be there waiting," he said, nodding to the reigning two-time Wimbledon champion beside him.
Alcaraz, who lifted the men's singles trophy on these very premises last month, said: "I played really good tennis at the net. I served pretty well, so I think we both played really good tennis—much better than the first one."
"We will continue to work hard and keep improving our doubles game, making it even better for the quarterfinals."