Carlos Alcaraz and
Rafael Nadal were confirmed to play
an exhibition match in Las Vegas, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion will be
unable to play following his injury at the Australian Open.
The Spaniards initially had to play on March 5 at the MGM
Rewards 'The SLAM', one day before the start of
Indian Wells. The absence of
the 36-year-old player may mean his absence from the Master 1000, since there
is still no certainty regarding the date of his recovery. In his replacement, a
match will be played between the two highest-ranked Americans currently, Taylor
Fritz (world No. 7) and
Frances Tiafoe (world No. 15).
"With the recent
developments of @MGMRewards The Slam, I’d like to wish @RafaelNadal a swift
recovery. On March 5th, joining me at MGM Grand Garden Arena will be two
amazing players, @FTiafoe and @Taylor_Fritz97. May the best man win!"
Alcaraz wrote on his Twitter.
After his withdrawal,
Nadal spoke through a statement to express his disappointment at not playing
the match.
"I
am very sad for not being able to come to Vegas and play in this amazing event
with Carlos at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Unfortunately, the timing of my
recovery doesn't make it possible to be there ready to play," the Manacor
said.
"I
am sure that we will find another date to celebrate this event and have fun. I
would like to thank the fans and event organizers who have been in contact with
me all the time, showed a lot of support and have been extremely
understanding," added the Spaniard.
