The 38-year-old Nadal announced last week he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion faces two much-younger rivals who are ahead of him - and the need to keep them both close

Carlos Alcaraz admitted Wednesday it will be a "difficult moment" facing "idol" Rafael Nadal on Thursday as the Spanish superstars clash for the final time. He was my idol, he is still my idol," Alcaraz said on court after defeating Holger Rune 6-4,

"It’s definitely a transition, but it takes time. It’s a natural process, and people have been talking about it for many years."