WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz joined by football icon Neymar Jr on court at Six Kings Slam in Riyadh as Spaniard sets up thrilling Rafael Nadal clash

Carlos Alcaraz and footballer Neymar Jr. - Source: Getty and Instagram
Carlos Alcaraz and footballer Neymar Jr. - Source: Getty and Instagram

Carlos Alcaraz was seen sharing the court with the football icon Neymar Jr. at the opening night of the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. The 21-year-old is set to compete against his icon, Rafael Nadal, in the semi-final of the competition.

Alcaraz qualified for the semi-finals after delivering a winning performance in the quarter-final match against Holger Rune. Both the players had their eyes set on competing with Nadal, who was given direct entry in the semi-final round of the tournament. However, the Spaniard gained dominance over Rune and won the match with a score of 6-4, 6-2 in just 72 minutes.

After the victory, Alcaraz shared the court with Brazilian football icon Neymar Jr., who came as an audience to witness the match between the Spanish athlete and Rune on Day 1 of the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An enthusiast shared a video on X, which showcased the footballer attempting to play tennis alongside Alcaraz. The caption of the tweet said:

"When Neymar and Carlitos share the court."

Here is the video of the footballer on the tennis court:

Before competing in Riyadh, Carlos Alcaraz competed in the Shanghai Open, where he reached the quarterfinal. The Spaniard trounced Shang Juncheng, Wu Yibing, and Gael Monfils to reach the quarterfinals; however, he was defeated by Tomas Machac in the quarterfinal by a score of 7(7) - 6(5), 7-5. Following this, the athlete is ready to compete against his icon, Rafael Nadal, in Riyadh.


Carlos Alcaraz opened up about competing against Rafael Nadal

In the on-court interview during the opening night of the Six Kings Slam event, Carlos Alcaraz opened up about his feelings about Rafael Nadal's retirement. Along with this, he also spoke about Nadal being his icon and revealed that he watched his matches ever since he started playing.

"Yeah. I watched [Rafael Nadal's] matches since I started playing. I look up to him. I grew up watching him... He was my idol. He’s still my idol. It’s a shame he announced he’s retiring," said Carlos Alcaraz.

Following this, he spoke about the significance of Nadal in his career and admitted that he is 'privileged' for getting a chance to play against him.

"A really important person for my life, for my career. [Rafael Nadal] was one of the reasons I wanted to become a tennis player. Knowing he’s retiring is tough for everyone. For me. It’s a privilege playing against him once again. It’s gonna be tough for me. I’ll enjoy sharing the court with him once again. It’s really difficult for everyone."

Before the Shanghai Open, Carlos Alcaraz won the title of the China Open by winning against Jannik Sinner in the finals on October 2 with a score of 6(6) - 7(8), 6-4, 7(7) - 6(3). He also won the Wimbledon Cup this year by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7(7)-6(4).

What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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