TIL Desk Sports/ Spain’s Rafael Nadal spoiled Carlos Alcaraz’s 18th birthday bash as he moved into the third round of Madrid Open with a 6-1, 6-2 victory on Wednesday.
Fans at the Manolo Santana Stadium sang ‘happy birthday’ as Alcaraz stepped onto the court against his childhood idol. But even in his country’s biggest tennis court and under the watchful eye of Spanish sports legends like Iker Casillas and Raul, Alcaraz showed no sign of nerve as he came out swinging.
The generational second-round clash was more than just a showcase of the present and future of Spanish tennis. Both players are coached by Spanish greats and former World No. 1s, with Juan Carlos Ferrero in Alcaraz’s box and Carlos Moya in Nadal’s.
Top seed Nadal advanced to the third round, and awaits the winner of Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin and 14th seed Jannik Sinner.
