More than two and a half months later Rafa Nadal met again with Carlos Alcaraz on a tennis court. Then, at the Paris Games, the Spaniard and the Murcian were allies and partners in the Olympic double. This Thursday in Riyadh they were rivals in a high-profile exhibition tournament. The one known as Six Kings Slam that is played in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Since Nadal and Alcaraz fell in the quarterfinals of the Olympic event, the Manacor native had not played a match. He resigned, among other tournaments, from the United States Open and on Thursday of last week he set a date for his retirement, within the framework of the final phase of the Davis Cup, in Malaga, next November.
Therefore, Nadal did not arrive in Riyadh with many expectations, except to do some filming for his last official appearance, in a month. On the other hand, Alcaraz has many years ahead of him. The Murcian beat the Balearic Islands 3-6, 3-6, and will play the final this Saturday against Sinner, who beat Djokovic.
The Murcian will seek the title in this million-dollar exhibition against Sinner, who beat Djokovic
As happened in the Games, Rafa Nadal alternated supine quality points in which he remembered the usual champion with more erratic and irregular shots. What he describes in recent times as “not having the necessary ball quality” to compete at the elite level. His winning forehands were greeted with enthusiasm by the stands and also by his entourage. There were his father, his wife, his son, his work team and his representative. Meanwhile, Alcaraz was going about his business, but he had to fight him. Because if Nadal will have something until the end of his tennis days, it is grit. Thus he saved two set points before losing in the first set 6-3. In the second the Murcian accelerated his tennis one more point and gave Nadal no options 6-7(0).
The Spaniard will play third and fourth place this Saturday against Djokovic. On the verge of retiring from the professional circuit, Nadal had preferred to be cautious about his possibilities in such a demanding context. “My chances are not very great, I just want to be on the track, be part of the show and for the fans to enjoy the entertainment,” he said on the day of his arrival in Riyadh. In practice he fulfilled what he had said. He didn’t win but he made the fans vibrate.
Before, in the first semifinal Novak Djokovic and Jannick Sinner fought for the copper as if it were an important circuit final. No showing off for the sake of showing off and yes winning blows left and right. The Serbian, with apparent physical problems, as so many other times, reacted when he had clearly lost the first set 6-2 and took the second in sudden death, 6-7 (0). Whether it was because of the very important purse of money (the largest in the history of tennis) or because of the prestige, the truth is that both tennis players put up an enormous battle. Sinner took the lead by winning 6-4 in the third set. It is now the time of the young.
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