It turned out to be an action-packed thriller as Carlos Alcaraz defeated Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-4 14-12 in their exhibition match, known as The Netflix Slam, in Las Vegas on Sunday. Nadal made his return to action after sustaining an injury in Brisbane which ruled him out of the Australian Open. He missed almost a year of tennis due to a hip injury and made his comeback at the Brisbane International.
Nadal was expected to return to action at the Qatar Open in February, but decided to pull out. It was an encouraging performance by Nadal at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and after the match, he revealed that he put in a good show, also winning the first set against Alcaraz.
He also had enough stamina to save five match points in the match tiebreak before Alcaraz finally clinched victory. It was filled with positive signs for Nadal ahead of the Indian Wells, where he is also a three-time champion. In his most recent appearance in 2022, he was runners-up, losing to Taylor Fritz in the 2022 final.
Nadal’s first match in the tournament is scheduled for Thursday and Alcaraz will get a bye. The match was also a big test for Alcaraz, who injured his right ankle in February in the Rio Open. He will be looking to build a strong momentum, having not won a Grand Slam title since his Wimbledon victory last year.
Nadal had a strong start, racing to a 5-2 lead in the first set. Then Alcaraz held to stay in the set, but Nadal slammed down three aces en route to take the game and first set, 6-3.
But Alcaraz had other plans in the second set, and took his level up by a notch. The young Spaniard surged to a 3-0 lead, only for Nadal to make it 3-1. In the next game, he forced a deuce, but Alcaraz maintained his composure and made it 4-1. Then Nadal saved three break points to keep himself alive.
A sensational drop shot gave Alcaraz a set point, and then a strong forehand saw him win the second set 6-4 and also level proceedings, which forced a deciding 10-point tie-breaker.
It was Alcaraz, who first served and took the first mini-break to get a 3-1 lead. But Nadal fought back, and then at 7-7 came the decisive moment. A poor shot from Nadal gave Alcaraz an opening and he took a 9-7 lead. But Nadal won the next point and then a forehand saw him make it 9-9. After it became 12-12, Alcaraz earned his sixth match point and finally settled proceedings with a 14-12 win in the tie-breaker.
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