Nadal lauds Alcaraz despite suffering defeat in an exhibition match

As he nears the end of his career, Rafa Nadal said that he is happy that he won’t have to lock horns with Carlos Alcaraz too many times after the 37-year-old went down against his compatriot in an exhibition match in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Nadal, who has bagged 22 Grand Slam titles, added that the future of Spanish tennis was in safe hands with the 20-year-old. Alcaraz has already clinched majors at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon and is ranked number two in the world behind Novak Djokovic.

"It's a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times," said Nadal, who expects to retire in 2024 after a series of injuries limited his appearances on the circuit.

"As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully.

"In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming.

"He's an amazing player. He's only 20-years-old and he's already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments."

Nadal, who was on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury, for a year, before suffering a muscle injury at the beginning of this season, said he felt "much better than expected" during the exhibition match.

Nadal and world number two Alcaraz are next in action at the Masters tournament at Indian Wells.