Rafael Nadal extended his unbeaten start to the season to 20 matches on Saturday and will compete for his fourth straight title of the year after defeating fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz to reach the Indian Wells final, where he will face American Taylor Fritz.
In a match pitted as a clash between Spanish tennis generations, Nadal battled past Alcaraz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and the 35-year-old was pushed all the way through three hours and 12 minutes by the 18-year-old aiming to follow in the footsteps of his childhood idol.
"I think was my best match so far in the tournament in terms of level," said Nadal, who has won all three tournaments he has played so far this year, including a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
"In the third I played with great determination against a very difficult player to play. He's great. He has a lot of amazing things."
The array of shots and athleticism that have already stamped Alcaraz a star were on full display in a match that saw gusting winds buffet the players in the second set, sending debris skittering across the court and at one point forcing a readjustment of the billowing net.
Alcaraz's fearless start to the contest saw him take a quick 2-0 lead – fighting off five of the astonishing 17 break points he would face in the set in the second game.
Nadal won the next four games before surrendering his serve again, but he pocketed the set with another break in the 10th game.
Alcaraz again seized the initiative in the second set with a break for a 3-2 lead. That launched a run of five straight breaks of serve, the last another marathon in which Nadal saved five break points and missed two game points before Alcaraz finally put him away.
Alcaraz, who had won just three games in his only prior career meeting with Nadal in Madrid 10 months ago, then calmly served out the set.
As the wind died down again, the third set saw both players hitting winners from every quarter of the court. Nadal stepped up his attack, coming to the net more in a bid to end the rallies and a high forehand volley gave him another break and a 5-3 lead.
"In the third I think I played much better," said Nadal, who wasn't slowed by discomfort that had him bring on the trainer for a quick adjustment to his upper back.
"When the wind stopped a little bit I thought I need to play aggressive because if not Carlos is going to go for the shots and it is going to be in his hands."
Alcaraz said he leaves the tournament happy, despite the defeat.
"I mean, I was playing against Rafa," he said. "I think it was a close match. First time (we played) he destroyed me. Now we played third set."
If Nadal beats Fritz on Sunday, he will tie Novak Djokovic for the most Masters 1000 titles in ATP history with 37.
The 24-year-old Fritz, ranked 20th in the world, ended Andrey Rublev's 13-match ATP winning streak with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the No 7 in the other semi-final.
Fritz is the first American man to reach the Indian Wells final since John Isner in 2012 and he'll be vying to become the first US winner since Andre Agassi in 2001.
Fritz is into his first Masters 1000 final and in search of a second career ATP title after his victory at Eastbourne in 2019.
The Southern California native came out firing on all cylinders and seized a 3-0 lead in just 11 minutes.
Hitting winners off both wings and punishing Rublev's second serve, Fritz had a chance to go up 5-1, but Rublev managed to fight off three break points in a marathon game featuring eight deuces.
As Fritz served for the set at 5-2, Rublev broke him with a stinging service return winner to put the set back on serve, but Fritz broke again in the 12th to take the set.
In a fit of frustration after the error-strewn set, Rublev repeatedly punched his racquet head with his right hand, opening cuts on his knuckles that apparently prompted his medical time out.
Rublev lifted his game in the second set, but couldn't convert two break chances in the ninth game and Fritz served it out in the next.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC
Price, base / as tested: Dh169,995 / Dh192,045
Engine: Turbocharged, 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 253hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 389Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Honeymoonish
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
