Rafael Nadal faces surprising defeat in ‘practice match’ against Carlos Alcaraz, but remains positive

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Rafael Nadal (37) had to show up on Sunday for an exhibition match against his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz (20), the number two in the world. He lost, but took the first set and felt “better than expected”.

The two star players faced each other at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, USA for an exhibition match, which was broadcast live on streaming platform Netflix, three days before the start of the prestigious Masters 1,000 of Indian Wells, where Alcaraz is the defending champion. Nadal will make his return after repeated injuries.

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Nadal: “Felt better than expected”

“It went much better than expected,” Nadal said after the match, which was won by Alcaraz: 3-6, 6-4 and 14-12. “During the first set I reached a good level, even though it had been a long time since I had been on the courts. I also felt better than expected.”

Nadal could not say too much about his future. “It could be my last season, but it could also not be. I haven't decided one hundred percent yet. I don't want to say goodbye yet, because I'm not completely sure of my decision yet and I would like to end on a nice note. Only time will tell.”

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