It was the most anticipated match of the Mutua Madrid Open. Seeing Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz on the clay of the Caja Mágica ensured the show and a high-flying match in the quarterfinals that would inevitably leave one of the two out of the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz is already here, beating the best, beating his idol, that player who has imitated so many things in his life and who today looks you in the eye. On the court, he beat him 6-2, 1-6 and 6-3 in a game with many interruptions and unexpected turns, but that despite his 19 years Alcaraz managed perfectly.
The Murcian beat Rafa Nadal for the first time in his career to advance to the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid OpeNy has a record in this 2022 of 26-3 in his favor.
Since 2016
Alcaraz has become the first Spaniard to beat Nadal since Fernando Verdasco did it at the Australian Open in 2016. The Murcian put an end to the longest streak of consecutive victories against tennis players from the Navy.
Nadal had gone 25 games without losing to Spanish tennis players until the arrival of these quarterfinals in Madrid, where he was out of the semifinals and lost his second game of the season.