December 11, (THEWILL) – Tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are set to meet in an exhibition match in Las Vegas next year. Streaming giant Netflix, the broadcaster of the event, made the announcement on Monday. The match will take place on 3 March 3 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Mandalay Bay Resort.
The fixture will mark 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal’s return to competitive play after nearly a year away due to injury. “I’m very excited for my first visit to Las Vegas, one of the most iconic and entertaining cities globally,” commented the 37-year-old. “I’m also very excited to be playing with my fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. I am sure it will be a fantastic night of tennis.”
The 20-year-old Alcaraz, who is the current world number two, is seen by many as Nadal’s successor both in Spain and in the wider tennis world. Though the two have faced each other just three times previously, the young star expressed his eagerness take on his legendary countryman. “He’s an all-time great, of course, and his records and achievements speak for themselves,” Alcaraz stated. “Rafa also is one of the nicest guys on Tour and I look forward to our match.”
The event, billed as the “Netflix Slam,” will be streamed globally as part of the platform’s push into sports programming. Further player announcements are expected in the lead up the March showcase.
Netflix will surely leverage the event as a means to drive subscriptions. By pairing two of Spain’s biggest tennis stars and pitting legend versus heir apparent, the platform created an intriguing storyline.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
