SUMMARY
- Rafael Nadal’s son played around the stadium during the Netflix slam match against Carlos Alcaraz.
- Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz entertained the fans with their rallies on the court.
The Netflix Slam saw Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal battling against each other in Las Vegas. The two Spaniards not only entertained the crowd but also shared friendly moments. While the players were engaged in the match, the fans found an adorable video featuring Nadal’s son. He was seen during the game with his mother and Nadal’s family members.
Nadal Junior was seen holding a tiny racket and smacking a tennis ball. Fans immediately found similarities with Nadal’s game. “So cute! Soon to be like his father,” commented a fan after watching the video of Nadal Junior playing tennis. Fans even decided that Nadal Junior had already started planning to play against Alcaraz.
So cute! 🥰
Soon to be like his father https://t.co/2HnYrkWbLj
— 💙Bhengagirl ᴬᵀᵉᵃᵐ 💕🦋 (@bhengagirl) March 4, 2024
Ok I couldn’t expect this NetflixSlam to get better after it’s over but it just did. The cutest thing I will see in a long time. Rafa Jr hitting tennis ball like he won’t let it go! Like his dad! ❤️🥹🥰 https://t.co/zg8H6G1Z4U
— Mahee, Ph.D., FHEA (@tkamal16) March 3, 2024
Rafa Nadal Jr. already plotting for when he’s 18 going up against a 40 year old Carlitos pic.twitter.com/tmVN25wOI3
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 3, 2024
One fan commented about Nadal Junior spending time with family and enjoying a snack during the match. The fan said,” To sum up! Gorgeous family.” Nadal Junior was also filmed by his grandfather while playing tennis.
To sum up! Gorgeous family 🥰👶🏻😇 #babyrafa #rafajunior #NetflixSlam #familynadal @RafaelNadal @ShutterstockNow #tennisphotography #lasvegas pic.twitter.com/5CD5qMJsqv
— Ella Ling (@EllaLing23) March 4, 2024
his grandad filming him too is so adorable omg 😭🥹🫶🏼 https://t.co/cZPy9telwR
— mimi🧍🏻♀️| RAFA COMEBACK ERA ⁵⁵⁴ (@rafastefbaes) March 3, 2024
The match saw Nadal giving fans a taste of nostalgia with his shotmaking skills against Alcaraz. The 22-time grand slam champion had initially informed the fans about his troubling health status but seemed fit in Las Vegas. It was their second meeting on the hardcourts, as they had played at Indian Wells in 2022, where Nadal secured a victory in three sets.
Carlos Alcaraz brings out the best of Rafael Nadal at Las Vegas
The Netflix slam was a massive success, as the fans witnessed out-of-the-world shots by Alcaraz and Nadal. The arena was packed with 9,489 fans watching the clash of the Spaniards. While Nadal holds a 2-1 record over Alcaraz on the ATP tour, this time, the young Spaniard raced ahead in time.
The world No. 2 had a slow start to the game as he was down 2-5 in the opening set. There was no scope for a comeback, but Alcaraz caught up in the second set. Nadal could only capture one game in the first five games of the set. Alcaraz went on to win and level the scores. The third set was a tiebreaker.
Nadal seemed to be running out of steam in the tiebreaker as Alcaraz was bustling with energy. Nadal was down 1-3 but fought back as the scores were seven each. Nadal saved five match points in the tiebreak but eventually hit a forehand that clipped the net and went long. His forehand seemed in much better shape than his backhand during the match.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz’s forehand unleashed powerful groundstrokes on the court. The 20-year-old beat Nadal 3-6, 6-4, 14-12. Both players will be seen at Indian Wells next. While Alcaraz is the defending champion, Nadal will return to the tour after almost two months.