Carlos Alcaraz overcame an ankle injury in his match against Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Madrid Open to win in three sets, and it was an important victory for him.
Alcaraz began the first set of the quarter-final match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid with a solid and inspiring performance. The young Spanish superstar appeared to be on a mission, ready to take on Nadal in any way he could.
Alcaraz had an answer for everything the Spanish legend tried. He hit winners from his forehand side and backhand side, with his return, and also some aces, as well as effective drop shots.
The match was delayed in the second set because of a medical issue in the stands, which disrupted Alcaraz's rhythm. Nadal took advantage of the situation, winning the second set 6-1.
The final set began with Alcaraz playing as well as he possibly could, mirroring his level from the opening set of this meeting. He was the better player who moved well and attacked aggressively.
Alcaraz only needed one bad game from Nadal, in which the 21-time major winner lost his serve. He maintained his composure and won the third set 6-3 against his childhood idol to win the match 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
It was a very important victory for the young Spaniard, who will move to sixth place in the ATP Rankings. Naturally, he was delighted about the win after the match, as it showed to him that he could beat the best and that all the hard work paid off.
"It means a lot to me. All the hard work that I put in every day pays off today. To beat Rafa, to beat the best player in history on clay, it means a lot to me. When I lost the second set, I [just] thought that I was able to come back, to do my best, try everything on court, fight until the last ball. It was the key."