"Nadal news affected him";"Truly dark day for Spain" - Fans in shock as Carlos Alcaraz falls in Shanghai Masters QF

On the same day that Rafael Nadal announced his retirement, fans were shocked as Carlos Alcaraz suffered a quarterfinal defeat to World No. 33 Tomas Machac at the Shanghai Masters. Machac defeated Alcaraz in straight sets to break the Spaniard's 10-match winning streak.

Since facing a shock early exit at the US Open, Alcaraz had won both his singles encounters at the Laver Cup before winning his fourth title of the year at the China Open. In Shanghai, the 21-year-old was in impressive form and reached the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 event without dropping a set.

However, he was defeated 7-6(5), 7-5 by Czech Republic's Machac on October 10, 2024. On the same day, Nadal took to social media to announce that he would be retiring from professional tennis after competing for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals.

Fans were quick to connect one event with the other, with many stating that Alcaraz's idol Nadal's retirement news affected his game on the court.

"I think Nadal news affected him," one fan wrote.

"I think Nadal’s retirement news has affected Carlos. I think next match will be a comfortable win for Jannik in the semis against Machac," another fan wrote.

One fan on Reddit claimed it was a tough day for the Spaniards. They wrote:

"A truly dark day for Spain"

Comment byu/tutor_aftermath from discussion intennis

Some fans predicted who could go on and win the Shanghai Masters after Alcaraz's exit.

"Djokovic is destined to stay undefeated in this tournament," one fan wrote.

"Alcaraz has more striking options than Sinner, but Sinner's head is unbeatable," another fan wrote.

"I know Sinner is so happy right now," yet another fan wrote.

During the post-match press conference, however, Alcaraz rued the narrative about him being affected by Nadal's news. He stated that although he heard about it before his match, he was focused on his quarterfinal.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal set to represent Spain together for the last time at the Davis Cup Finals

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Rafael Nadal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Image: Getty)

In September, Spain announced its squad for the Davis Cup Finals, set to take place in November. Led by captain David Ferrer, the team features Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers.

This tournament will mark Nadal's final appearance in professional tennis following his recent announcement that he will retire after the event.

Alcaraz and Nadal will reunite to represent Spain after previously reaching the quarterfinals in the men's doubles event at the Paris Olympics. Spain is set to face the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, and a clash against either Germany or Canada could await in the semifinals.