From being friends with Rafael Nadal to supporting Carlos Alcaraz, Pau Gasol has had a strong tennis connection over the years. The fact he flew to Las Vegas to witness the Netflix Slam featuring Alcaraz and Nadal is a testament to the former NBA star’s love for the game. The most recent instance of this has been Gasol extending his support to Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open.

Taking to his official X account, The Spaniard posted, “4 horas después…@carlosalcarazestá en su primera final de Roland Garros… Enhorabuena, Carlos, qué orgullo verte en un escenario así (4 hours later…@carlosalcarazhe is in his first Roland Garros final… Congratulations, Carlos, how proud to see you on a stage like this) .” 

This comes after Alcaraz secured his spot in the French Open final for the first time in his career. He defeated Jannik Sinner in a gripping five-set match, winning 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. However, the victory did not come easy for Alcaraz as he had a slow start to the game initially. However, battling through the initial odds, he made a comeback and secured a victory after four hours and nine minutes.

Alcaraz’s opponent in the finals will be Alexander Zverev, who has not won any Grand Slam title yet, but he has defeated Carlos previously in 2022. Now, it’s to be seen if the 27-year-old German player will grab his first title or if Alcaraz will secure his third Grand Slam. Meanwhile, let’s have a closer look at Pau Gasol’s connection with the game of tennis.

Is Pau Gasol friends with Rafael Nadal?

The former Lakers star was Kobe Bryant‘s closest friend, and he looks after his family to this day. However, after Bryant, if Gasol’s bond with any other star has gained much media attention, it’s with Rafael Nadal. While their Spanish roots could serve as one factor they could bond upon, yet another one is the fact they both love playing golf.

Although Gasol was not a fan of the sport when he was in the NBA, he later developed an interest that seems to gravitate toward the green courses. As for the first known instance of the beginning of Gasol and Nadal’s friendship goes back to the time the two had shared an IG post featuring them at Nadal’s tennis academy.

The two not only posed for the photos with tennis rackets but are also said to have played against each other. What started off back then has lasted so far, with Pau Gasol and Rafael Nadal often spotted playing golf, and soccer, and at social events as well.     

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.