"I don't think it was a great match, but the drama was high" - Andy Roddick on Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz's Netflix Slam exhibition

Andy Roddick recently gave his thoughts on Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz's Netflix Slam exhibition match, expressing that it was not a particularly impressive encounter.

Alcaraz had been recovering from an ankle injury sustained at the Rio Open last month. The 22-time Grand Slam champion, meanwhile, returned to the court at the 2024 Brisbane International after nearly a year away. His return was short-lived as he suffered a muscle tear, forcing him to withdraw from the next two tournaments — the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.

Upon their return, Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal took part in the Netflix Slam exhibition match. The event, hosted by MGM Resorts International, took place on March 3, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The match saw Alcaraz emerge victorious over Nadal, claiming the Netflix Slam trophy with a 3-6, 6-4, 14-12 victory.

During the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, Roddick gave his thoughts on the match. Despite the players' recent injury setbacks, the American commended their performance, noting that while their serving may have been lacking, the match was filled with "good moments" and "drama."

"They played well. Carlos [Alcaraz] looking for a little bit. There were some question marks about his ankle after he turned it in Rio. He wasn't running full out, like he would run to his fore, and he wouldn't put on the brakes like he does so well and then kind of get back into the court. He kind of ran through the ball. Neither of them served very well, but there were some good moments, and the drama of the match was fantastic," Roddick said (at 25:10).

The former World No.1 stated that he didn't think that it was a "great match" but emphasized the entertainment value and intensity of the competition.

"I think people often equate, like, if a match is dramatic, they say it's a great match, and I don't always necessarily agree with that. I don't think it was a great match from the kind of the balls and strikes of it. But the drama was high; Rafa saves five match points," he added.

Roddick expressed that the match going into tiebreak made it dramatic and that both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were happy to compete in the event.

"It was a great event, considering they had never done it before, at least in the arena. I obviously can't watch because I'm doing the television, but in the arena, I thought it went off great. A 10 out of 10. High drama, went to the tiebreaker, they both seemed happy and into it, and they came out and, like, were actually playing from the word go wasn't like a laughy jokey thing the entire time," Andy Roddick said.

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Rafael Nadal on playing against Carlos Alcaraz at Netflix Slam: "It was great, I enjoyed a lot"

Rafael Nadal speaking during the trophy presentation

Following the match at the Netflix Slam, Rafael Nadal gave his thoughts on the match during the trophy presentation. He expressed that he thoroughly enjoyed playing at the event and also congratulated Carlos Alcaraz on his win.

"It was great. I was supposed to be here last year; unfortunately, due to some issues, I was not able to be here, I enjoyed a lot. Congratulations to Carlos for a great match," he said.

Nadal also stated that returning to the court has been "great," especially after being sidelined due to injuries for quite some time. He expressed his gratitude to the Las Vegas crowd for their support throughout the match.

"And on a personal level, yeah great. I was not able to play a lot for the last two years so to play here with Carlos in front of an amazing crowd in Las Vegas means a lot to me. Super happy,' he added.

Both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will next compete at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will face Milos Raonic in the first round while Alcaraz, seeded second, will kick off his Indian Wells campaign in the second round against either Matteo Arnaldi or Luca Van Assche.