“People watched tennis because of him,” Carlos Alcaraz praises Rafael Nadal for his global impact on the sport
Carlos Alcaraz praised Rafael Nadal for his global impact on tennis after beating the 38-year-old in the semifinals of the Six Kings Slam.
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal (Image via X)
Carlos Alcaraz reunited with Rafael Nadal on the court after over two months. However, this time around, it was as opponents. Alcaraz defeated the 38-year-old in the Six Kings Slam semifinals and, after the match, had some fitting words about his compatriot.
Nadal returned to the court for the first time since August when he played alongside Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics. He recently announced his decision to retire from the sport after the Davis Cup in November.
The 22-time Grand Slam earned a first-round bye in the Kings Slam exhibition tournament before facing Alcaraz in the semifinals. In the semifinal tie between the two Spaniards, Nadal was nowhere at his best level, leaving Alcaraz to control the match.
The 21-year-old went on to win 6-3, 6-3, to earn a place in the final and will face Jannik Sinner for the $6 million prize money on Saturday (October 19). Nadal will take on Novak Djokovic in the third-place match.
During his post-match conference, Alcaraz praised Nadal for his impact on tennis. Additionally, he stated that the veteran attracted people to watch the sport because of his consistent performance.
Everybody wanted Rafa to win. They were chanting, ‘Rafa, Rafa!’ It’s normal. What he did in his career, many people started watching tennis because of him. I will try to do the same, attract new tennis fans thanks to my matches.
Carlos Alcaraz said
This part of the interview ?
— Carlos Alcaraz Daily (@alcarazdaily) October 18, 2024
Full interview ? https://t.co/5OgumwAD8U https://t.co/egsUrtoCqn pic.twitter.com/EAVKEfVsaH
Meanwhile, the Kings Slam final will be the fourth meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner this season. The former has won all their meeting this year, including the recent China Open final which he won in three sets.
Rafael Nadal focused on ending his career excellently at the Davis Cup in November
Rafael Nadal has admitted that he is focused on playing at the Davis Cup Finals in November. The Spaniard revealed that he will retire after the tournament and has been included in the Spanish team.
Nadal will join Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers. After losing to Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Six Kings Slam, he admitted that he was doing everything to get better before the tournament kickoff in Malaga.
I have the Davis Cup in front (of me) in a month so every day is an opportunity to be better and better and be ready for this final tournament of my tennis career. I want to try my best to be ready for that and help the team in some way.
Rafael Nadal said (via APNews)
Nadal has won the Davis Cup five times in his career. He last won the title in 2019 and has been away from the team since then. It will be a special moment in the 38-year-old career if he should win the title and retire from the sport.
Stay Updated!
Victor Okechukwu
(690 Articles Published)