Without the pressure of a big event, without the rush to win due to ranking issues or the urgency of success to meet expectations and reputation, they meet surrounded by affection. Rafael Nadal, living legend of the sport, and Carlos Alcaraz, standard bearer of the future but already present, in Las Vegas, in a face to face exhibition.
Nadal and Alcaraz, among those registered for Indian Wells. AP Images
Both have been away from the demands of the circuit for a long time. A dream duel, longed for by any tennis fan, without the certainty that it can ever be a reality again. With a capacity of twelve thousand spectators there will be a Spanish duel between two immense players separated by a couple of generations.
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It is not the first time that both have met on a court, although it was never before in a friendly exhibition. The 37-year-old, holder of twenty-two Grand Slams, has won two of the three times they have competed on the court. He was in the Madrid Masters 1000, in 2021, in the midst of the Murcian’s emergence, and in Indian Wells, in 2022, with difficulties, in three sets. Then, months later, also in the Magic Box, in Madrid, Alcaraz took over. And he won for the first, and so far only time, against the Manacor veteran.
They have been in California for days, where next week the two return to the competition, they face that Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, one of the great events on the calendar. A prestigious event, one of those next in relevance to a Grand Slam. Each one in his own way, with his certainties and his uncertainty.
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The complete draws for Indian Wells will be announced on Monday, March 4 and the return of Rafa, to compete on these courts for the first time since 2022, is the most requested in ticket sales.
2024-03-02 13:43:00
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