Carlos Alcaraz upsets idol Rafael Nadal in Madrid

Carlos Alcaraz toppled his idol Rafael Nadal 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the Madrid Open quarterfinals on Friday. "It means a lot to me," said the 19-year-old Alcaraz. "All the hard work that I put in every day pays off today.

To beat Rafa, to beat the best player in history on clay, it means a lot to me." Alcaraz had faced 35-year-old fellow Spaniard Nadal twice and lost on both occasions. His reward is a semi-final with world number one Novak Djokovic, who beat Pole Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-4. Nadal, a five-time winner in Madrid, dropped serve three times in the first set, winning in an eventful match that had to be stopped to assist a spectator in the stands.

Alcaraz had to overcome a sprained right ankle during the match.. In the second set, Alcaraz saved three break points but suffered a fall. He struggled with his right ankle as Nadal won five straight games to take the set.