Carlos Alcaraz beats Rafael Nadal at Mandalay Bay's Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, host of the inaugural Netflix Slam; you can watch Indian Wells live on Sky Sports plus over 80 tournaments a year exclusively live on Sky Sports Tennis
Monday 4 March 2024 09:58, UK
Carlos Alcaraz defeated 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-4 (14-12) at the inaugural Netflix Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Nadal, who spent almost a year on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury before suffering a muscle injury at the start of this season, said he felt "much better than expected" during the exhibition match in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,489, including Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlize Theron, Danai Gurira, Logan Lerman and Manu Rios.
The showdown, the latest in Netflix's push for live streaming events, pitted two superstar Spaniards in an exhibition match which was rescheduled from last year due to Nadal's injuries and arrived just in time as the two players head to Indian Wells this week.
Nadal is returning to the tour after months away due to injury, while the match was also a bit of a physical test for Alcaraz, who suffered an injury to his right ankle at the Rio Open.
"It's a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times," said Nadal.
"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."
Nadal said he hopes to avoid any injury setbacks at Indian Wells so he can be fully fit for the upcoming clay-court season, in what could be his final year on the ATP Tour.
The 37-year-old, who has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles on the red clay of Roland Garros, has suggested his career could be coming to a close and missed this year's Australian Open due to pain in his surgically repaired hip.
"Whatever has to be left, leave it in the clay season, which may or may not be the last, I have not decided 100 per cent," Nadal said in Spanish at a press conference ahead of the Netflix Slam event. "At the moment things are going that way.
"I'm not saying goodbye because then I'd say I'm not playing anymore. This is an important point and I don't want to say it because I'm not 100 per cent clear about it. In the last two years, I haven't been able to play. Life is showing you the path."
Nadal is a three-time Indian Wells champion and plays his first-round match on Thursday at the tournament in the Southern California desert. He has previously said his goal was to play the French Open and the Paris Olympics this year.
"How did I imagine my farewell? At first, I didn't imagine it because when you start to imagine something, it means that the closer you are to it," he said. "It wasn't something I had in mind. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court. Whether that can be or not, time will tell."
The BNP Paribas Open will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from March 6-17 and you can watch the tournament live on Sky Sports. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership - just £21 a month for 12 months. No contract, cancel anytime.
