Nadal shows no issues with hip in exhibition loss to Alcaraz

LAS VEGAS — There is a lot of mystery surrounding Rafael Nadal and his health as he has only played 12 official matches since the 2022 US Open.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner played an unofficial event on Sunday, losing to fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 3-6, 6-4 (14-12) in The Netflix Slam in front of a packed house of 9,489. Nadal, 37, showed no apparent signs of problems related to his hip.

Nadal said during an interview with Netflix while leading 5-2 in the first set that his performance at that point was “much better than expected.”

The match was also a bit of a physical test for Alcaraz, who injured his right ankle on Feb. 20 during the Rio Open. Like Nadal, he showed no visible signs of physical limitations.

The question now for Nadal is whether he will be ready for Roland-Garros in May. Nadal dominated this event like no other, winning the major tournament 14 times.

The match against Alcaraz was an encouraging sign, but Nadal said beforehand that he wasn't sure what the future held for him at Roland Garros and beyond.

Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open in January after suffering what he called a surgically repaired micro tear in his hip. He then skipped a tournament in Doha, Qatar.

Nadal takes another test in Indian Wells this week. This will be his first competitive tennis since Melbourne. He was in California preparing for the hard-court event before heading to Las Vegas to face Alcaraz.

“I have to spend more time on the tour, at least training with the professional players, even if I don't play many official matches,” Nadal said the day before the exhibition. “That's what's important right now is to be back in the rhythm again. I wasn't able to play the way I hoped. I had to pull out of Doha, so let's see.”

Men's tennis is experiencing a sort of passing of the torch. Nadal's long-time rival Roger Federer retired his 20 Grand Slam titles two years ago. Nadal has remained on tour, but the big question is whether he will increase his Grand Slam total.

Novak Djokovic, who turns 37 in May, might be the only dominant player of this generation who is still close to his peak. The world's top-ranked player won three of his 24 career major titles last year.

But a younger generation of players is entering the scene. Alcaraz, 20, already has two major championships. Jannik Sinner, 22, won his first Grand Slam title by beating the Australian, beating Djokovic in the semi-final before rallying from two sets down to defeat former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.

“I would say the match is in good hands and has been in good hands,” said eight-time major champion Andre Agassi, who was promoting the exhibition in his hometown. “We have just watched and will continue to watch probably the greatest generation that has ever played this game and we would probably be lucky if we ever get close.”

Agassi said he encouraged Alcaraz to learn everything he could from Nadal.

“He’s a guy who you can say over the years has conducted himself with class, dignity and humility,” Agassi said. “It's authentically real. When you talk about Roland-Garros, it's an eternity away for him right now because all that matters is what he's going to do (Saturday night), what he's going to do (Sunday), what he's going to do. do every step of his day.

Alcaraz said he took a lot of inspiration from watching Nadal over the years, noting in particular that his ability to fight for every point left a particularly lasting impression. This was proven again in the exhibition when Nadal fended off five match points in the super tiebreaker.

“The way he finds solutions when things aren’t going well, I think it’s amazing,” Alcaraz said. “I would say that’s all I’ve learned from him and I’m trying to put my own game into it.”

How much game does Nadal have left?

He's not even sure at this point, as one of the greatest careers of all time nears its end.

“It’s my body more than anything else because my mind is healthy,” Nadal said. “I have a passion for what I do.”