Rafael Nadal gave everything he had at the Barcelona Open, but that was not enough to defeat a player of Alex de Minaur's stature. In the first round, he managed to comfortably beat the talented young Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3, but the Australian was already too much.
The current world number 11, who has entered the Top 10 for the first time this year, is playing the best tennis of his life and, despite not being a clay court specialist, is a tough player on any surface, and today he beat Rafa 7-5, 6-1.
Nadal played well in the first set, which he could have won, but both physically and mentally, de Minaur clearly surpassed him in the second set with everything in his favor.
Now, the 22-time Grand Slam champion hopes to be present at the Madrid Open. But before that, the greatest legend of the Barcelona Open with 12 titles, wanted to say goodbye to one of the tournaments where he has been most successful, the second most won after Roland Garros.
"Almost certainly, I won't be able to compete here again. I would have liked to fight the tournament, but for me it was very nice to be able to play two matches. It's hard for me, and I'll play in Madrid depending on how I feel. I will have to accumulate one more week of good training sessions. I enjoyed it", he said after the match, according to statements made by José Morón, journalist of Punto de Break.
Rafa Nadal: "Casi con total seguridad, no podré volver a competir aquí. Me hubiera gustado luchar el torneo, pero para mí ha sido muy bonito poder jugar dos partidos. Es duro para mí. En Madrid jugaré según me encuentre. Tendré que acumular una semana más de buenos…
And speaking of Roland Garros, he also mentioned his desire and excitement to be at the French Open: "If there is a tournament where it is worth giving everything and dying for, it is in Paris", according to Quentin Moynet, a tennis journalist from L'Équipe.
Undoubtedly, he will no longer be the favorite, as he himself said before his debut in Barcelona, despite the words of Stefanos Tsitsipas, we will always have to keep him in mind to make us enjoy and vibrate as he has always done in major tournaments.
Nadal sur Roland-Garros : "S'il y a un tournoi où ça vaut la peine de tout donner et mourir, c'est à Paris".
