Oct 17,V7N-Carlos Alcaraz shared his emotional anticipation ahead of what will likely be his final encounter with his idol, Rafael Nadal, as the two Spanish tennis stars prepare to face off in the "Six Kings Slam" exhibition event in Riyadh. Nadal, who recently announced his plans to retire after the Davis Cup Finals next month, is set to clash with Alcaraz on Thursday in the semi-finals.

Reflecting on the upcoming match, Alcaraz, who has grown up admiring Nadal, expressed how special and challenging it will be. "Since I started playing tennis, I’ve been watching his matches. He was my idol, and he still is," Alcaraz said, following his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Holger Rune. "It’s a really important moment for me and my career because he was one of the reasons I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Knowing he’s going to retire is tough for everyone, especially for me."

Alcaraz, currently the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, acknowledged the difficulty of the moment but said he plans to savor the opportunity to share the court with Nadal one more time. "I will try to enjoy it, but it’s going to be hard for everyone."

Nadal holds a 2-1 advantage in their head-to-head matches on the ATP Tour, and they’ve previously played doubles together at the Paris Olympics this year. The two are expected to team up again at the Davis Cup Finals.

In the other semi-final, Jannik Sinner, fresh off a dominant win against Daniil Medvedev, will face Novak Djokovic. Sinner, who defeated Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters final, acknowledged the challenge ahead but is determined to play his best tennis in the rematch.

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