Netflix has announced a one-off blockbuster clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in March 2024. The match touted as ‘The Netflix Slam’, has quickly gained public attention as two Spanish superstars are set to battle it out against each other. Interestingly, this match was supposed to take place earlier in the 2023 season but had to be called off since both the players happened to be injured at the same time.
Should the match take place, it is likely that Rafael Nadal could take on a player who mirrors him the most and could well remind him of his younger self. Carlos Alcaraz has always shown his admiration towards Rafael Nadal. The young Spaniard has often been compared to Nadal because of mainly having a Spanish bull-like mentality and athleticism.
A recent post on social media showed the similarities between their careers. Alcaraz, still only 20, is considered as the next big thing in tennis and Nadal was also similarly promising back in 2007 when he was in his 21st year.
According to the post on X, after crossing the age of 20, both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were ranked No.2 in the world. Another similarity between both the Spanish stars is that both had won two Grand Slam titles by then. However, Alcaraz has more wins against Top-10 as compared to Nadal. Meanwhile, Nadal had more ATP titles.
20&222 – Carlos #Alcaraz (aged today 20 years and 222 days):
ATP Ranking: #2
Grand Slam titles: 2
ATP titles: 12
Top-10 wins: 23Rafael #Nadal at 20 years and 222 days:
ATP Ranking: #2
Grand Slam titles: 2
ATP titles: 17
Top-10 wins: 19Duel.#TheNetflixSlam @MGMResortsIntl… https://t.co/9oBwpjgkRV
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) December 13, 2023
These stats prove that Nadal-Alcaraz comparisons are not wide off the mark. Alcaraz is not only similar to Nadal in his playing style, but also in stats. But Alcaraz would have to be consistent for a large part of his career going ahead, to match or go past Nadal’s massive records.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal match generating lots of interest
The Netflix Slam between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz is generating a lot of interest. After successfully venturing into F1 and Golf, this is a much anticipated match-up for Netflix. The OTT giants have done well to convince two tennis superstars to come together for their platform.
According to reports, the ticket sales alone are set to generate around $1 million for the match. The tickets starts at $75 and the organizers expect a full house for the much-anticipated clash. The The Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas has a capacity of 12,000. This might be the last season of Rafael Nadal on the ATP Tour and fans will flock in to see these two Spanish giants face off, for perhaps one final time.
