Carlos Alcaraz sends Rafael Nadal ‘full power’ message ahead of Six Kings Slam showdown
Carlos Alcaraz has warned Rafael Nadal he is “going to go full power” and play “without fear” in the pair’s clash at the Six Kings Slam exhibition.
The world No 2 is “not surprised” Nadal is practicing at “100%” and he expects his idol to be “stronger than ever before” in the match despite his recent inactivity.
Alcaraz eased to a 6-4, 6-2 win against Holger Rune in his first match at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh on Thursday to set up a semi-final meeting with Nadal, who received a bye.
In a post on his Instagram story after beating Rune, Alcaraz wrote: “Happy with today’s win and really looking forward to playing against Rafa one last time here in Riyadh tomorrow!”
Nadal, who has not played since the Paris Olympics in July, announced last week that he will retire after the Davis Cup Finals in November.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the singles event at the Games.
The 38-year-old also joined forces with Alcaraz in Paris to form a dream Spanish men’s doubles team and the duo reached the quarter-finals.
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In a post-match interview after his victory over Rune in Saudi Arabia, Alcaraz looked ahead to his showdown with his legendary compatriot.
“I’m going to go full power. I’m not surprised he (Nadal) is practising and he’s 100%, hitting the ball super hard, feeling the ball really well,” said the 21-year-old Spaniard.
“I’m not surprised at all, because of the player he is, the legend he is. It doesn’t matter that he stayed away from tennis for three, four months. He’s going to come back stronger than ever before.
“So I’m going to try to play good tennis if I want to beat him, but I’m going to go full without fear.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about the influence Nadal had on his career.
“I grew up watching him. He was my idol, is still my idol. It is a shame that he announced that he’s going to retire from tennis. He’s a really important person for my life, for my career,” added Alcaraz.
“He was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a professional tennis player, so knowing that he’s going to retire from tennis is pretty tough for everyone, for me.
“So I don’t know if it is a privilege, playing against him once again or if it’s going to be tough for me. But I will try to enjoy sharing the court with him once again, but I think it’s really difficult for everyone.”
The winner of Alcaraz and Nadal’s clash will face either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in the Six Kings Slam final.
