former champions Lindsay Davenport and Jim Courier discuss Nadal’s unexpected withdrawal from the tournament due to not being ready to compete at a level he’s comfortable with. Concerns about Nadal’s readiness arose after his compromised performance at the Netflix Slam in Las Vegas, where he struggled with his serve and movement.
Despite promising signs from his early arrival in California and training at Porcupine Creek, Nadal ultimately decided against playing due to his body’s ongoing challenges. Fans in California were disappointed by his withdrawal, but Nadal’s focus now shifts to the European clay swing, with Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome offering ample opportunities for match play. The question remains whether Nadal’s team will set him up with an optimal schedule to make a run at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Now ranked no.652, Rafael played his last match on the 5th of January when he capitulated to world no.33 Jordan Thompson 5-7 7-6(6) 6-3 in the quarter in Brisbane (draw).
Currently, during this season Nadal owns a 2-1 match record.
Nadal has scheduled to play next in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 15th of April.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
Now ranked no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 20th
of February when he had to retire when playing against world no.113 Thiago Moura Monteiro in the 1st round and the scoreline was 1-1 .This season Alcaraz achieved a compiled 6-3 match record. Carlos Alcaraz’s most significant accomplishment of this season was reaching the semifinal in Buenos Aires.
Alcaraz is scheduled to play next in Miami (Miami Open). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 18th of March.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz played each other 3 times. The head to head is 2-1 for Nadal. Previously, the last time they squared off, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-2 1-6 6-3 in the quarter in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) in May 2022.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.