There are fresh fears over the much-anticipated exhibition clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas after the Spaniard limped out of the Rio Open. The Wimbledon champion had played just two games of his first-round match with home favourite Thiago Monteiro, when he lost his footing on the clay and rolled over on his ankle, immediately signalling for the trainer.
In clear discomfort, Alcaraz was then helped off the court as spectators watched on in stunned silence. And just moments later, the 2022 champion confirmed he was retiring from the contest, having Monteiro a walkover into round two.
The 20-year-old later played down the injury in his post-match press conference, claiming physios had told him the issue didn’t look serious. But his glamorous clash with Nadal now appears in jeopardy, a development likely to unnerve Netflix bosses.
The streaming service are due to present live coverage of the event on Sunday, March 3 – with commentary in both English and Spanish. And a unique venue has already been set, the Michelob ULTRA Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Vegas.
Nadal, 37, has not played a competitive match since his third-round defeat at the Brisbane International, where he was beaten by Jordan Thompson. It was later confirmed that he suffered a ‘micro tear; on his hip muscle during that clash, and was duly ruled out of the Australian Open.
And there has already been big publicity surrounding his return, with his game with the compatriot billed as the legend against the young pretender. The pair have previously faced-off three times in singles action, with the 22-time Slam winner leading their head-to-head matches 2-1.
The injury to Alcaraz also raises doubts on the defence of his title at Indian Wells. The event in America gets underway on Match 15, some 12 days after his scheduled one-off with Nadal.
Alcaraz did confirm he will have imminent tests on his ankle to check the extent of the damage. Despite still appearing unsteady on his feet, he was later seen signing autographs as he left the venue.
His unexpected exit seemingly paves the way for British No.1 Cameron Norrie to successfully defend his title. The No.2 seed takes on Tomas Barrios Vera in his first-round match on Wednesday night.
