Rafa Nadal Lost To De Minaur, Ending His Clay-Court Comeback
After overcoming the Spaniard, the Australian Alex de Minaur advanced to the Barcelona tournament’s round of 16.
As he prepared for his Barcelona Open second-round encounter against Alex de Minaur, Rafa Nadal was presented with a painful truth today. Since making his Barcelona debut as a wildcard entrant back in 2003, Nadal had never lost so quickly in his 17 matches.
But the Nadal of today—37 years old as of June, almost 38 in June—is hardly the same commanding presence that won the Barcelona championship a record 12 times.
In a match that might be his final one of the competition, Rafa Nadal battled a player who outlasted him in terms of both physical and tennis prowess. This discrepancy was evident on the scoreboard, as Nadal lost against de Minaur 7-5 and 6-1 in an hour and fifty-two minute encounter.
Watch: Emotional scenes as Rafa Nadal wins comeback on clay
Rafa Nadal unable to match the Australian’s level of intensity.
With his aggressive play and commanding presence on the court, De Minaur has become more of a player and is currently ranked in the top 10 in the world. De Minaur did not provide Nadal any openings, in contrast to past opponents. Within the first game, he broke Rafael Nadal’s serve with ease, and he never looked back.
It was especially clear that Nadal could not keep up with de Minaur’s tempo when it came to drop shots, even with the crowd’s encouragement and his renowned competitiveness. It was clear from watching Nadal struggle toward the end of big sets that the contest was physically taxing.
With an average serve speed of 138 km/h, Nadal’s deteriorating physical condition was clearly visible during the encounter. Though Nadal fought valiantly, he lost important games to breaks against an opponent who was placed eleventh in the ATP rankings.
Given his physical issues, Rafael Nadal’s recent struggles on clay are indicative of a larger pattern in his career. After Barcelona, he will play in the Mutua Madrid Open in an attempt to get back on track and gain confidence before attempting to win a fifteenth Roland Garros championship.
Rafa Nadal keeps pushing himself on the court, showing his tenacity even after losing. His ranking has somewhat improved, moving from 644th to 511th, highlighting his ability to persevere in the face of difficulties.
At this point in his career, Nadal views every match as a major victory that demonstrates his constant commitment to the game regardless of ranking.
