Nadal is participating in only his second tournament of the year, his first since January, where he reached the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 in Brisbane.
Alcaraz maintains a seven-match winning streak, having not been defeated by a fellow Spaniard in his last 11 matches. The last to do so was Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Indian Wells semifinal.
The 37-year-old stated that he won't be able to compete in Doha but is aiming for an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas in March, followed by Indian Wells later in the month
Nadal said he had concerns over his surgically repaired hip after needing a medical timeout in the third set of his Brisbane International quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson
The 22-time major winner is playing on a wild card after his ranking slipped into the 600s as he recovered from hip surgery, and he's desperate for match time ahead of the Australian Open this month
I’m at a good stage of my life. Until now I didn’t know if I would play tennis again someday, and now I genuinely believe I will. I’m still not ready to say when, but I’m able to train increasingly longer, and the progress is good, said Nadal
In the current season, Novak Djokovic matched Rafael Nadal's record of 22 men's major singles titles at the Australian Open, then surpassed it with wins at Roland Garros and the US Open.
All in all, it was perfect preparation for Djokovic as he returns to the U.S. Open after being unable to travel to the United States last year because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19.
Competing under the roof on Centre Court, the 20-year-old Spaniard showcased his deft touch and devastating power to become the third Spanish man to reach the title match at SW19
Nadal is just 1-3 this season and has dropped seven of his past nine matches overall, dating to a fourth-round loss to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open's fourth round last September