“These are exactly the things we expected”: Alex de Minaur confirms Rafael Nadal’s was close to his very best in recent defeat at Madrid Open

Australia’s young tennis star Alex de Minaur has revealed that legendary Rafael Nadal was very close to his best during their most recent meeting in the Madrid Open. The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal has recently returned to action after struggling with injury concerns and is currently taking part in the Madrid Open where he registered his place in the round of 32 after defeating De Minaur in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3. Talking after the match, the 25-year-old, who defeated Nadal when the two met during the Barcelona Open, was recently quoted in a report where he admitted that the former world number one was close to his best as registered a thumping win.

"I think the level he gave today was quite high, things as they are. I would have liked to play a little better, that's true, but this is tennis. You try to give everything and there are days when you give the level and days that don't," said De Minaur. "These are exactly the things we expected. In Barcelona he was not prepared to play and it showed on the court, today I saw him close to his level in the past. For me, today he was at a very high level, at a very high intensity, from the first point to the end.”