Carlos Alcaraz overcame an ankle injury in his match against Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Madrid Open by playing superb tennis and winning the match in three sets.
The meeting of the two Spaniards was probably the most anticipated match at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, just because of how special of a matchup it is.
Some could call it 'passing of the torch' moment, given how talented the 19-year-old Spaniard is. However, the 'King of Clay' still entered this match as a slight favorite, even though he denied that prior to the match.
The opening set of this quarter-final meeting started with Alcaraz playing very strong and inspired tennis. The young Spanish superstar looked like a man on a mission, ready to take on Nadal in every way possible.
Whatever 'Rafa' tried, Alcaraz had a response for it. He hit incredible forehand winners, spectacular backhand winners, some return winners, great serves, successful drop shots, and much more from the teenager.
Alcaraz was by far the better player in the first set, and he deservedly won it 6-2 to establish an early lead. Things changed slightly in the second set early when the youngster tumbled far behind the baseline.
He had a painful expression on his face, and a replay showed his ankle bending awkwardly. Alcaraz took a medical time-out and had his ankle taped up, and his movement did not look as bouncy as before.
The match was halted midway through the second set for a second time due to a medical emergency in the stands, which completely threw off Alcaraz's rhythm.
The more experienced Nadal took advantage of that, quickly wrapping up the second set and winning it 6-1. The final set opened with the younger of the two looking similarly to how he looked in the first set—inspired.
He played well, moved well, and attacked extremely well. Nadal played one horror game at the start of the third set, losing his serve, and it was all Alcaraz needed.
He remained composed and won the third set 6-3 against his childhood idol, winning the match 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 to set up a semi-final clash at the 2022 Madrid Open with Novak Djokovic. The young Spaniard will also move to the sixth place in the ATP Rankings on Monday, which will be his new career high.
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