(UPDATE) RIYADH — Rafael Nadal admitted his fitness level was well off the tour's top players after falling Thursday in straight sets to fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who described the exhibition match as 'a little bit sad.'
The 38-year-old Nadal, who announced last week he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month, lost 6-3, 6-3 to 21-year-old Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the 'Six Kings Slam' event in Saudi Arabia.
A LITTLE BIT SAD Spain’s Rafael Nadal (left) embraces Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz after Alcaraz won their semi-final tennis match in the ‘6 Kings Slam’ exhibition tournament in Riyadh on Oct. 17, 2024. AFP PHOTO