Nadal’s first in almost two years
King of the clay courts
Rafael Nadal, who is commonly known as the king of clay courts, has finally returned to the clay. Nadal’s first clay match in almost two years netted a Round 1 win at the Barcelona Open. His win was against world No. 62 Flavio Cobolli, with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
Although it was only the first round, it was a crucial match for Nadal. Especially since he has been dealing with several injuries. This was the first time he played a competitive match on clay since the final of the 2022 French Open, which he won. Tuesday’s game was also his first competitive match since January when he had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a minor muscle tear in his hip.
Maria on Twitter: “Rafael Nadal’s forehand down the line on clay. That’s all. pic.twitter.com/jL5cLqizev / Twitter”
Rafael Nadal’s forehand down the line on clay. That’s all. pic.twitter.com/jL5cLqizev
Age over youth
Nadal, who is 37 years old, appeared impressive against Cobolli. While he may not be as willing to sacrifice his body to save a shot as he once was, he remained in control throughout the match.
Cobolli, who is only 21, seemed taken aback by the ease with which he was defeated by someone 15 years his senior who had not played on clay courts in almost two years. However, Nadal is an expert on clay courts and tennis in general, and he appeared comfortable sliding around the court. To sum it up, he looked like the Rafa of old.
The Tennis Letter on Twitter: “Rafa Nadal does his sprint back to the baseline on a clay court for the first time in almost 2 years. A vision. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zZVuxrZNB1 / Twitter”
Rafa Nadal does his sprint back to the baseline on a clay court for the first time in almost 2 years. A vision. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zZVuxrZNB1
Series of injuries to the great one
Nadal had a lengthy journey to get back onto the court. Despite winning the first two major tournaments of 2022, he faced challenges with injury and inconsistency towards the end of the season. In 2023, Nadal’s season came to a halt after he suffered a hip injury during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, which then plagued him for the rest of the year.
Barcelona has always been a comfortable location for Nadal, as he is a native of Spain. Throughout his career, he has won 12 titles in Barcelona. Making it the perfect place for him to regain his rhythm. Nadal has a good understanding of the courts in Barcelona, and the surface is his favorite to play on. His objective is to participate in the upcoming Roland Garros tournament next month, which he has won an astonishing 14 times. If he can stay injury-free, he will have the opportunity to achieve this goal, and perhaps even more.