EXCLUSIVE: Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are facing off in a Netflix tennis special
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are getting ready to face off in “The Netflix Slam,” marking their first matchup since 2022.
The Nadal-Alcaraz match will stream on Netflix in English and Spanish on Sunday, March 3.
Their exhibition match, which was first announced in December, will be held inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and begin at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET.
In a TODAY exclusive teaser for the live sports event, Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam men’s singles title champion, says, “I need to play at my 100%.”
Alcaraz, who has already won two Grand Slams at just 20 years old, is labeled “the prodigy” and a “young Rafa” in the clip.
The teaser also includes moments from Nadal and Alcaraz’s previous matches. Nadal currently leads their head-to-head matchups 2-1.
Other players who are participating in the special one-night event will be announced at a later date, Netflix said.
Tennis legends Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernández and Patrick McEnroe will provide commentary, on and off the court, during “The Netflix Slam.” Retired tennis star and current analyst Prakash Amritraj will also serve as a commentator alongside sports journalist Kay Adams.
Those who stream the event in Spanish will hear commentary from tennis greats Feliciano López and David Ferrer, as well as actor and television presenter Santi Millán.
This marks the streaming platform’s second live sporting event after hosting “The Netflix Cup,” a live golf exhibition match, in November.
Nadal and Alcaraz, who are both from Spain, have faced each other three times before in singles. In their first meeting at the Madrid Open in May 2021, Nadal easily won in two sets. They met again at the Indian Wells Masters in March 2022 and Nadal earned another win, this time in three sets.
Their last match was at the Madrid Open in May 2022. Alcaraz outlasted the legend and won in three sets.
Tennis fans will be excited to watch Nadal compete after he withdrew from the Australian Open last month due to a hip injury. Nadal has battled hip problems over the past year and had surgery, ESPN reported.
He confirmed in a tweet before the Australian Open that he suffered another injury at the Brisbane International quarterfinal.
Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried. Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news.
Right… pic.twitter.com/WpApfzjf3C— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) January 7, 2024
“Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried,” he wrote Jan. 7.
Nadal continued, “Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news. Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches.”
He said in a follow-up tweet that he was working to be at his “best level” in three months and that he looked forward to playing in front of his fans again.
On Feb. 14, he shared another update with fans on Instagram. He said he was still not ready to compete and needed to sit out the current ATP Qatar Open.
“I will focus on keep working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament,” he said in the caption.
Alcaraz competed at the Australian Open and dominated until he reached the quarterfinal. He lost to Alexander Zverev in four sets.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
