The ultimate doubles dream team’s journey has come to end. The superstar Spanish doubles team of Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, known fondly by fans as “Nadal-caraz,” fell to the fourth seeded doubles team of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, 6-2, 6-4.
The American duo of Ram and Krajicek, who have both separately reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking, were quick to display their doubles dominance early in the first set. The Team USA tandem only made six errors to Nadal and Alcaraz’s 14 in set one, taking the first set definitively, 6-2, in a speedy 43 minutes.
The second set proved to be more demanding for the fourth seeds, as they quickly found themselves tied at 3-3. Krajicek came in clutch next and served a searing game to lead the team, 4-3, and then the duo broke the Spaniards while Alcaraz served, taking the set score to 3-5.
But Nadal and Alcaraz, both of whom have been world No. 1s, weren’t ready to surrender. Nadal and Alcaraz broke back on Rajeev’s serve, and with every point, the cries of the crowd reverberated throughout the show court.
The pair however couldn’t catch-up with the Americans, and blew through three breakpoints while swapping ads with Ram and Krajicek. Finally, when the Americans were at advantage, Krajicek blasted a serve deep in the corner that left many wondering if it landed in the service lines. As the crowd held their collective breaths, the chair umpire jumped up, walked to where the ball landed, and with the quick “in” motion of her hand, the ‘Nadal-Caraz’ dream was crushed, and Nadal’s Olympic career came to a final, losing close.
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