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Reuters

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Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz is having a fairytale run this season. The rising Spanish star has been a treat to watch over the tournaments this year, putting on audacious displays on the tennis court. Yesterday, he put on another thrilling show at the Madrid Open. In one of the most memorable wins of his career, Alcaraz defeated his idol, Rafael Nadal, in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters tournament.

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Further, the 18-year-old entered the tournament on the back of winning three titles this year. In the most successful season of his career already, Alcaraz had prevailed at the Rio Open, Miami Open, and the Barcelona Open. After his match, he talked about picking a trick out of David Nalbandian’s books to defeat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the tournament.

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David Nalbandian reacts after Carlos Alcaraz mentions him after defeating Rafael Nadal

During the post-match interview, the interviewer asked Alcaraz about his chances against Djokovic. He said, “Of course, I am focusing on tomorrow. I will text (David) Nalbandian how he did it but well, I will fight, and let’s see what happens tomorrow.” Subsequently, the former Wimbledon finalist reacted to Alcaraz’s hilarious comment with a flexed muscle and a laughing emoji.

In his only victory over Djokovic in five meetings, Nalbandian had defeated Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2007 Madrid Open in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (4). Further, continuing his impressive run, the Argentine defeated Roger Federer in the finals 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win the title. Earlier, in the quarterfinals, he had prevailed over Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-2.

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USA Today via Reuters

Alcaraz avenged his Indian Wells semifinal defeat against Nadal, beating his idol on his favorite surface. In the other quarterfinal, Djokovic eased past Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-4 to set up a clash with the in-form Alcaraz.

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It will be the first time that Djokovic and Alcaraz will face off against each other. It will be interesting to see who comes out on the top in this exciting battle. Their match will be played later today.

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Vatsal Shah

3,705 Articles

Vatsal Shah is a tennis journalist at EssentiallySports, covering ATP and WTA storylines from the ES Trends Desk since 2023. He delivers breaking insights on major tournaments and player arcs, decoding tactical shifts and viral moments into accessible takeaways for fans worldwide. His coverage of Taylor Townsend’s Dubai title win stood out for capturing both the emotional significance of her victory and the context of her comeback.

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Ajinkya Aswale

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