Rafael Nadal Carries Olympic Torch at Paris Opening Ceremony Amid Fan Debate
Rafael Nadal had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch through the Seine River during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games on Friday, July 26. The two-time Olympic gold medalist received the flame from former French footballer and 1998 Ballon d’Or winner Zinedine Zidane. While some fans celebrated Nadal’s recognition, others were less impressed.
On the boat journey through the Seine, Nadal was joined by 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, American track and field athlete Carl Lewis, and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci.
Mixed Reactions on Social Media
Some tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) cherished Nadal’s moment in Paris, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. However, a few were displeased with a non-French athlete receiving the honor.
“If I was a French sportsperson and saw Nadal and Serena Williams getting this honor, I’d feel a bit p*ssed off #OpeningCeremony,” a fan wrote.
One fan took the opportunity to take a dig at 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, noting:
“When the Serbia boat came by, no one even mentioned Djokovic’s name. Ha ha ha.”
Fan Debate
This sparked a debate among the fan bases of Nadal and Djokovic, each defending their favorites. Some of the contrasting views included:
“Carrying the Olympic torch is not, and has never been a criterion for GOAT. Popularity keeps Rafa in the conversation, but that’s all that keeps him in the conversation. He has no actual case,” one fan wrote.
“I agree with this. Rafa absolutely earned his right to be celebrated in Paris,” commented another.
“And I’m supposed to believe the goat is a dude who won a couple more slams playing like twice the tournaments Rafa did,” another fan remarked.
“Djokovic is not only two extra grand slam, he has the highest masters title, weeks as number 1 (twice that of your torchbearer), and the highest year-end number 1. These numbers are the result of resilience and hard work over the last two decades against a biased system,” a Djokovic supporter responded.
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