Rafael Nadal has already announced his retirement from tennis. The Spanish legend will retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month. The 38-year-old has been an absolute entertainer of the game. Over the years he has won 22 Grand Slam titles and ranks among the top 3 tennis players to ever play the game. Ahead of the Davis Cup next month he will be up against his nation rival Carlos Alacaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz has been arguably the best player currently. He has won three grand slams in two years. With him being just 21 there is a lot more he can achieve. The young Spaniard recently won the China Open 2024 beating his arch-rival Jannik Sinner in the ultimate showdown. He lost in the quarter-final against France’s Tomas Machac in the ongoing Shanghai Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has always idolised Rafael Nadal since the early days of his tennis. Being from the same nation he has always looked up to him and wanted to be as successful as the Spanish tennis legend. On Thursday, however, the 38-year-old will take on Alcaraz for a place in the final of the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition event in Riyadh. This will be an exciting match for all the tennis lovers with the two generations playing against each other.
Rafael Nadal holds advantage over Carlos Alcaraz
Will Carlos Alcaraz beat his idol, Rafael Nadal? Before the match, the 21-year-old said, “Since I started to play tennis, I’m watching his matches. I look up to him and I grew up watching him. He was my idol, he is still my idol. A really important person in my life, and for my career and he was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Knowing he is going to retire is pretty tough for everyone, for me.”
Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have faced three times on the main ATP Tour, with the soon-to-be-retired veteran leading 2-1. The Spanish pair competed in doubles at the Paris Olympics this year and are likely to team up again in the Davis Cup Finals. The veteran also made his last singles appearance at the Games on the same Roland Garros courts where he won 14 French Open titles.
