The Rafael Nadal vs Carlos Alcaraz rivalry is set to be reignited first up in 2024 at the Netflix Slam on March 3. And the last time they played against each other was the 2022 Indian Wells semi-final. And that was the match which in a way made Carlos Alcaraz retrospect his game on the outdoor hard court surface.
Rafael Nadal, a three-time winner of Indian Wells, last won the title in 2013 and has since never reached the finals for many years. Nearly a decade later in 2022, Nadal reached the finals but lost to Taylor Fritz. However, it’s his semi-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz that had a huge impact on the young Spaniard’s career.
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz idolizes Rafael Nadal. Given that they are both from Spain, goes the extra mile in looking up to someone. In 2022, Alcaraz was still a rising tennis star, yet to win a Grand Slam, and hadn’t quite taken the tennis world by storm then. Yet, the tennis world was starting to take notice of this raw talent. He was aged just 19 then.
The semi-final of the Indian Wells was a great chance for him to stamp his authority. But his opponent was his idol, Rafael Nadal. What’s extra special is that Rafael Nadal was playing in the tournament with an injury. He had already suffered a stress injury in his rib during the tournament. And yet he won.
Rafael Nadal beat Alcaraz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, where the younger Spaniard could only dominate in a single set. Despite Nadal’s accolades and legacy, it was Alcaraz who started the game as the favorite to win.
So this loss of Alcaraz went a long way in making him go back to the drawing board and revise his game. Sure enough, 2022 didn’t go blank for him as he won his first-ever Grand Slam later that year. Alcaraz ended the year as the World No.1 too.
Such was the turnaround for the youngster, that as it stands Alcaraz is the defending Indian Wells champion. Rafael Nadal didn’t participate in 2023 owing to his worsening left leg injury. So Alcaraz didn’t get his revenge on the same tournament. But he was on such a good song, that no other player came close to defeating him even a single set. Alcaraz won the entire tournament without losing a set.
In the final, Carlos Alcaraz blew away Daniil Medvedev by 6-3, 6-2. Medvedev, who is renowned for his 5-setter matches, could barely earn a point in a set that day. Alcaraz’s prowess only rose from there, winning the Wimbledon that year by beating Novak Djokovic in the final. The score was 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
That one loss against an injured Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Indian Wells went a long way in shaping Alcaraz’s career. This is also because Alcaraz later beat Nadal at the Mutua Madrid Open 2022. But the Nadal vs Alcaraz head-to-head still stands in the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s favor by 2-1.
