Rafael
Nadal is set for a significant rise in the ATP Ranking after his participation
in the
Madrid Open, where he had a string of victories before his elimination
in the round of 16 of the tournament against Czech player
Jiri Lehecka. The
Spanish player will advance more than 200 positions in the ranking with the
Rome Open as his next challenge.
Although
the 22-time Grand Slam champion didn't perform up to his usual standards in
Madrid, where he has won the title on 5 occasions, Nadal had his best weeks on
the Tour since 2022 and continues to gain momentum ahead of the upcoming
challenges in the Rome Open and French Open.
Notable
ranking rise for Nadal
Nadal
can take away several positives from his time in Madrid. The Spanish player
secured three consecutive victories, something he hadn't achieved since the
2022 US Open, including his first win against a top-15 opponent since the 2022
ATP Finals.
Nadal played his final Madrid Open and bids farewell with a record of 59-15 and titles in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017.
In the
first round, he defeated teenage player
Darwin Blanch (6-1, 6-0) and then
avenged his loss to
Alex De Minaur (7-6, 6-3), who had defeated Nadal days
earlier in the Barcelona Open. The third round saw him pushed to a third set
against Argentine player
Pedro Cachin (6-1, 5-7, 6-3), before ultimately being
eliminated by the 30th seed Jiri Lehecka.
With
his round of 16 appearance in the Masters 1000 event, Nadal earns 100 points,
allowing him to advance 207 positions in the ATP Ranking and become the world
No. 305 starting from Monday. Even a first-round defeat in the upcoming Rome
Open would see him return to the top 300.