Alex Trelinski
RAFA Nadal said one good thing about nearing the end of his career is that he will not have to face Carlos Alcaraz too many times after the 37-year-old Spaniard lost to his compatriot in an exhibition match organised by Netflix on Sunday.
Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, added that the future of Spanish tennis was in good hands with the 20-year-old from Murcia.
Alcaraz has already won majors at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon and is ranked number two in the world behind Novak Djokovic.
A super tie break sorted out the victor, with Alcaraz taking the challenge 3-6, 6-4, 14-12.
Nadal won the opening set of the exhibition match 6-3, while Alcaraz won the second set 6-4.
The last set of the match was a nail-biting 10-point tie break, during which Nadal first tied the score at 9-9 before the younger player came through to be victorious.
Alcaraz said: “It’s always nice to play Nadal. Any personal experience with him has been incredible and I would have loved to share more time with Rafa”.
He was then presented with a trophy by former American star Andre Agassi.
As for the veteran Mallorcan, he’s pleased that he won’t be playing him that much in the future.
“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal, who expects to retire in 2024 after a series of injuries limited his appearances on the circuit.
“As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully.”
“In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming.”
“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20-years-old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”
