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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz faced off in an exhibition match over the weekend. The game, called “The Netflix Slam,” concluded with an Alcaraz win and with an endorsement from Rafael Nadal, who had nothing but praise for his fellow Spanish player.
© GettyImages"It's a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times," said Nadal after the match, per Reuters. “As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully. In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming. He's an amazing player. He's only 20-years-old and he's already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”
Nadal and Alcaraz met this past Sunday in Las Vegas, in a moment that could be one of its last due to Nadal’s approaching retirement. The game was an exciting one, with Nadal winning the opening set 6-3 and Alcaraz taking the second 6-4. Alcaraz managed to win the match after a 10 point tiebreak, with many audience members holding their breath in the final seconds of game time.
The two are expected to play at the Masters tournament at Indian Wells.
Famous guests at The Netflix Slam
“The Netflix Slam” was the first live tennis sporting event hosted by the streamer and was attended by dozens of celebrities, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Charlize Theron, Pau Gasol, Dave Grohl, and more.
Tennis legend Andre Agassi presented the trophy to Alcaraz and shared his admiration for both him and Nadal. “First of all, they’re another level — athletically, speed, defense, offense, pace, spin trajectories, geometry,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “In a one-on-one sport, there’s always a question of how you impose what you do in a way that just beats one person as opposed to trying to just play great tennis. The greats of the game really understand the nuance of that difference. I’m not trying to be wonderful today. I’m just trying to be better than you. That’s what is very similar is each one of them that brings out their level of dominance.”
