Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal engaged in an exhilarating exhibition match in Las Vegas ahead of the Association of Tennis Professionals Indian Wells Masters, with Alcaraz emerging victorious with a scoreline of 3-6, 6-4, 14-12. The match, held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, was streamed live on Netflix, providing both Spanish stars an opportunity to gauge their fitness levels.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, spent most of the previous year sidelined due to a hip injury sustained during the Australian Open. Although he made a comeback at the Brisbane International in January, a minor muscle tear compelled the 37-year-old to withdraw from the season's opening Grand Slam event in Melbourne.

His planned return at the Qatar Open in February was also postponed, citing his lack of readiness to compete. During an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez, Nadal expressed feeling "much better than expected" after securing the first set against Alcaraz. Despite facing five match points in the tiebreak, Nadal demonstrated resilience before eventually conceding the match to Alcaraz.

The exhibition performance serves as an encouraging sign for Nadal as he gears up for the Indian Wells tournament, where he has clinched the title three times previously. In his last appearance at Indian Wells in 2022, Nadal finished as the runner-up to American Taylor Fritz. Nadal is scheduled to kick off his Indian Wells campaign on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz, ranked second globally, will receive a first-round bye in the California desert. As he aims to defend his Indian Wells title, Alcaraz faces his own injury concerns, having retired from his first-round match at the Rio Open due to a right ankle injury sustained against Thiago Monteiro. This setback adds to Alcaraz's recent challenges, including a quarter-final defeat to Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open and a semi-final loss to Nicolas Jarry in Buenos Aires.

Since his remarkable Wimbledon victory over Djokovic last July, Alcaraz has yet to secure another ATP title.