Carlos Alcaraz has been a revelation of sorts over the past year. He has gradually stepped up his game to feature amongst the elite group in men’s singles. Further, in what will be one of the biggest games to date this year, Alcaraz is set to face his idol, Rafael Nadal, in the semifinals of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

The Spanish tennis sensation has been on a great run of form this season. He began this season at the Australian Open. However, he went down fighting in the third round against Matteo Berrettini in a five-setter thriller. He had a memorable run in Brazil, as he won the title in Rio on clay earlier this February. It was his second ATP title after winning in Umag last year. Recently, after his quarterfinal win over Cameron Norrie, Alcaraz opened up on facing his idol in the next round.

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Carlos Alcaraz all set to face Rafael Nadal

During the post-match press conference after his quarterfinal win, an interviewer asked the Spaniard what it’ll take to beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinal. Alcaraz said, “I don’t know, honestly I think so, my level, I think I’m playing a great level in this tournament. Yeah I know it’s going to be a really tough, tough match but everybody knows how’s Rafa’s game and he has a thousand lives in the match when he’s down, so he can turn (*struggling with the English word) … around the game.”

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It will be the second time Alcaraz will face Nadal. The two had faced off last year at the Madrid Masters 1000. Nadal won that match without breaking any sweat. However, it won’t be a straightforward match for the 21-time Grand Slam champion this time around, especially with Alcaraz in good form. The 18-year-old’s stature on the tour has increased manifold in comparison to what it was when they last met in Madrid in May 2021.

Alcaraz enters the semifinals on the back of his quarterfinal victory over the defending champion, Cameron Norrie. He defeated the Briton in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Moreover, Alcaraz is yet to drop a set in this tournament. On the other hand, Nadal had to dig deep for his victories, first against Sebastian Korda and then against Kyrgios in the quarterfinal.

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It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top in the encounter between the two fellow countrymen.