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Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz Overpowers Rafael Nadal to Reach Madrid Open Semi-Final

Carlos Alcaraz is one of the biggest rising tennis stars in the world right now, and he managed to beat one of the greats on Friday night. The 19-year-old Spaniard reached the semi-final at the Madrid Open after defeating Rafael Nadal. Nadal kicked off 2022 on the right foot after taking a prolonged break from tennis for health reasons, but he couldn’t stand his ground to Alcaraz. He became the first teenager to beat him on clay and managed to score a 6-2 1-6 6-3 victory in Madrid. Nadal took his defeat with dignity, saying that Alcaraz was better than him in several aspects of the game and wished him the best of luck in the next stage of the Madrid Open. “It's an easy loss to digest in that regard, because we knew what we could expect here, and now because of that, I don't take away any merit from Carlos. Congratulations to him. He's playing great, and I hope the best for him for the rest of the tournament,” said Nadal after the match. Alcaraz will play against the world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-final. Stefanos Tsitsipas will face defending champion Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final, while the final is set to take place on May 8.