Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal geared up for the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Sunday in a heated battle in Las Vegas, with Alcaraz winning 3-6, 6-4, 14-12.
The contest at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was broadcast live on streaming service Netflix and was a test of strength for both Spanish stars.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, missed most of last year after sustaining a hip injury at the Australian Open.
He returned at the Brisbane International in January, but a small muscle tear forced the 37-year-old to miss the season’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne.
He shelved plans to return at the Qatar Open in February, saying he was “not ready to compete.”
“I felt much better than I expected,” he told interviewer Mary Jo Fernandez after taking the first set against Alcaraz.
And he had enough power to save five match points in the match tiebreak until Alcaraz finally ended the match.
It was an encouraging performance ahead of Indian Wells, where Nadal has won three times. In his most recent appearance at Indian Wells in 2022, Nadal finished runner-up to American Taylor Fritz.
The Spanish veteran is scheduled to fight in the first round in Indian Wells on Thursday. Alcaraz, who is seeded in the California desert, will receive a first-round bye.
World No. 2 Alcaraz is trying to become the first man to successfully defend his Indian Wells title since Novak Djokovic won three in a row from 2014 to 2016.
However, the 20-year-old Spaniard has had his own injury concerns recently, pulling out of his Rio Open first round match less than two weeks ago after spraining his right ankle after just the second goal against Thiago Monteiro. Was. .
It was another setback for the two-time Grand Slam champion, who lost in the Australian Open quarter-finals to Alexander Zverev and in Buenos Aires in the semi-finals to Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
Alcaraz has not won an ATP title since his stunning victory over Djokovic at Wimbledon last July.
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