Rafael Nadal defeated Jannik Sinner in straight sets to move on to Roland Garros quarterfinals and the Spaniard was happy about his performance after the match.
It was a similar match between Nadal and Sinner in 2021 to their 2020 clash with Sinner playing amazing tennis at points but Nadal still coming out on top. The 35-year old broke Sinner at 5-4 when the Italian served for the set. On the early troubles he said:
“I started playing well the first couple of games, then I think played a little bit too defensive for a few games. So, I gave him the chance to go inside the court and play with his best shots. That was a mistake."
He continued:
“I was lucky that I had the chance to have the break back at 5-4, and after this the match changed a lot. The second set I started playing great. But after that I think I played a great level of tennis, so very happy for that.”
Nadal will next face Diego Schwartzman a player he knows well and against whom he played well before. However, the Argentinian is also a player that has beaten him on clay before so he will need to be careful. The match will once again be played on Chatrier which Nadal loves.
He concluded his interview by saying:
“It’s always a pleasure to be back on this court Philippe Chatrier and play in front of you. I played a very good opponent today."