Rafael Nadal continued his quest for a third Olympic gold on Tuesday, advancing to the men’s doubles quarter-finals with his partner Carlos Alcaraz, while Andy Murray made a remarkable comeback once again. Coco Gauff, in tears, exited the singles competition after a heated exchange with the umpire, whereas top women’s seed Iga Swiatek smoothly progressed to the last eight. In the men’s category, defending champion Alexander Zverev reached the third round by defeating Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in straight sets, and Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, competing as a neutral, joined him in the last 16.
With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s Celsius, officials at Roland Garros implemented a heat protocol, allowing a 10-minute break between the second and third sets.
Nadal returned to the court with Alcaraz in their “Nadalcaraz” team just 24 hours after being ousted from the singles competition by Novak Djokovic in their 60th match-up. The Spanish duo, supported by a lively crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen, lost the second set but elevated their game in the match tie-break, defeating the Dutch team of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 10-2 in two hours and 22 minutes.
“We had fun because the score was positive in the (match) tie-break,” said Nadal. “We have been suffering but we are enjoying playing together, creating good synergies and good energy.”
The 38-year-old, a 14-time French Open champion, has been dealing with injuries and has fallen to 161st in the world rankings. He mentioned he would decide on his future after the Paris Games, where he still has a chance to add to his singles gold from the 2008 Beijing Games and doubles gold from Rio in 2016.
Murray’s Magic
Britain’s Andy Murray, playing his final tournament with Dan Evans in the doubles, saved match points for the second consecutive round. Murray and Evans defeated Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 11-9 to reach the quarter-finals. They saved two match points in the intense final-set tie-break, just days after saving five match points in their opening-round victory.
Murray expressed his emotions, shedding “happy tears” on the court after their victory. “Excited that we managed to get through another amazing finish,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion. “It takes a lot out of you, that sort of stuff. So I’m glad we got a day off tomorrow!”
Earlier, Croatia’s Donna Vekic upset world number two Gauff 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, but the match was marred by a prolonged dispute between Gauff and the chair umpire. Gauff, who was the US flag-bearer at the Olympic opening ceremony alongside NBA star LeBron James, argued with the official after a controversial call in the second set. The umpire overruled a call that Gauff claimed affected her shot, leading to a crucial break for Vekic.
“I have to advocate for myself all the time,” a tearful Gauff said on court. “I’m getting cheated in this game. You guys are not fair to me.”
Vekic, ranked 21st in the world, briefly lost her composure but recovered to hold her serve and broke Gauff again.
Swiatek extended her winning streak on the clay courts of Paris to 24 matches, defeating China’s Wang Xiyu 6-3, 6-4. She will face America’s Danielle Collins next.
Other notable victories included three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber of Germany, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, and China’s Zheng Qinwen.
