An 18th birthday is a special moment in a person’s life, marking the start of a new chapter. Carlos Alcaraz, who is often considered the heir of compatriot and tennis legend Rafael Nadal, received a unique 18th birthday gift as he faced his idol Nadal for the first time in his career that day. Moreover, it was on the King of Clay’s favorite surface at their home soil in Madrid.
In episode 1 of Alcaraz and his fans, in collaboration with Spanish food company ElPozo Alimentacion, of which Alcaraz is a brand ambassador, the five-time Grand Slam champion gave a surprise visit to fans, and they interacted over a meal. He was asked by one fan about his first match against Nadal, to which Alcaraz responded:
I was… I was terrified! It made a huge impression on me, it was a special day. I was celebrating my 18th birthday. I think that’s a bit why I felt that way, that feeling of being 18, of coming of age, of playing in Madrid against Rafa… I think all that counted…
Nadal defeated an overawed Alcaraz 6-1, 6-2 and went on to reach the quarterfinal of the 2021 Madrid Open, where he lost in straight sets to Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz further added about the 2021 Madrid experience:
But it was impressive, it was more than just a match. I lived it… I enjoyed it. I took a hell of a beating, but I enjoyed it. It was a unique moment.
The two Spaniards would go on to play each other two more times the following year at Indian Wells and the Madrid Open. Alcaraz clinched his only win over Nadal at the quarterfinal of the Madrid Open in 2022, eventually going on to win the tournament. The two also had a dream pairing for men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Carlos Alcaraz has a rollercoaster start in Cincinnati
After being dethroned by his archrival Jannik Sinner, who prevented him from claiming a three-peat at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz played his next match on tour over a month later at the Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz and Sinner, along with many other top-ranked players, had withdrawn from the Canadian Open.
In true Alcaraz fashion, the 22-year-old claimed a chaotic victory in his opening round rollercoaster match in Cincinnati over Damir Dzumhur. While Dzumhur held serve to clinch the first game of the opening set, Alcaraz raced through the first set to win it 6-1 in just 28 minutes, not facing a single break point.
However, the Word No. 2 found himself off course in the next set. Capitalizing on the many unforced errors the Spaniard made, Dzumhur broke him early to go 2-1 and went on to win the next three games and soon clinch the set 6-2. Alcaraz regrouped in the decider, building a 4-1 lead and soon sealing the victory 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz’s next round in Cincinnati
In his next round, Alcaraz will meet Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic for the first time. The winner of this match will meet either lucky loser Luca Nardi or reigning Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik in the fourth round.
Alcaraz’s best run in Cincinnati came in 2023 , where he was runner-up, losing a tightly contested three-set match to Novak Djokovic, who saved a championship point. Clocking 3 hours and 49 minutes, this marked the longest best-of-three-sets ATP Tour final and the longest match in the history of the Cincinnati Open.
