Carlos Alcaraz sets up Saudi showdown with Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz will try to enjoy facing “idol” Rafael Nadal for one last time at an exhibition tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Alcaraz is in Riyadh for the lucrative 6 Kings Slam, which is not an ATP-sanctioned event but has Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner involved.

Nadal and Djokovic were each given a bye through to the last four and Alcaraz set up a potentially emotional clash with his fellow Spaniard after a 6-4 6-2 win over Holger Rune in Wednesday’s second quarter-final.

Carlos Alcaraz wins with a beautiful performance!

Next up: An all-Spanish semi final against Rafael Nadal🇪🇸🎾

Watch Six Kings Slam on DAZN, Oct 16, 17 and 19 | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/t6FZ4M9Au3

— DAZN Arabia (@DAZN_Arabia) October 16, 2024

Nadal announced on October 10 that he would retire from the sport after next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Spain, where he will team up with Alcaraz.

Alcaraz acknowledged he had mixed feelings about being able to take on Nadal, who was his doubles partner at the Olympic Games in Paris, for a place in the 6 Kings Slam final where a reported £4.6million is on offer for the winner of the exhibition event.

“Since I start to play tennis, I’m watching his matches. I look up to him and I grew up watching him. He was my idol, he is still my idol,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview.

Alcaraz getting the double break in the most outrageous way 😲#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/xkE2E1M31W

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) October 16, 2024

“A really important person for my life, for my career and he was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Knowing he is going to retire is pretty tough for everyone, for me.

“I will try to enjoy sharing the court with him once again, but yeah I think it is really difficult for everyone.”

World number one Sinner is also through to the semi-finals where he will face Djokovic following a dominant 6-0 6-3 victory over familiar foe Daniil Medvedev, who has lost eight of his last nine matches to the Italian.