Rafael Nadal is on a roll lately. Not only did he reclaim the top spot in the world rankings, he was also the champion of this year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open tournaments. Furthermore, he got recently married to long-time girlfriend Xisca Perello. But perhaps most importantly, Nadal led Spain’s Davis Cup players to its sixth win in the team tournament.
Rafael Nadal praises Canadian Davis Cup team
Hours after leading Team Spain to its first Davis Cup championship since 2011, Nadal was in good spirits. He said that it was a good end to the 2019 tennis season, praising fellow player Roberto Bautista Agut who just came back from his father’s funeral days before.
Nadal also commended Canadian players Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime for their impressive performance in the final matches against him and Bautista Agut. He explained that Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime are among the toughest opponents that they could have faced.
He especially reserved compliments for Shapovalov, who he thinks has something special. Together with Auger-Aliassime, they were a formidable team in the tournament. In fact, Nadal thinks that the partners could be a major boon to the Canadian Davis Cup team in the future. He even called the Canadian team “almost unbeatable.”
Spain vs Canada in Davis Cup finals
Nadal delivered the Davis Cup victory to Spain, after he smashed Shapovalov during their singles match with the scores 6-3 7-6 (9-7). That brought the finals tally to 2-0, which helped them avoid a deciding doubles match. In the opening match of the game, Bautista Agut had a slim victory over Auger-Aliassime with 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
Nadal dominated the first set of his match vs Shapovalov but the younger Canadian was able to force a second-set tie-breaker. Shapovalov played hard and well but he had to succumb the moment he netted a forehand.
Spain’s championship is remarkable because it is also a further confirmation of Nadal’s powerful stature as a tennis icon. He won all of his matches in the Madrid tournament, which means he has not lost in the Davis Cup since 2004. Team Spain will take home $2.3 million for their victory.
Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime become Canadian rising stars
As for Team Canada, Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime seem to be the next big stars from the country’s stable of tennis players. The world no. 15 and no. 21 played every Davis Cup singles and doubles match for Canada, which emphasizes their home federation’s belief in their skills.
Shapovalov, especially, has been having a major year. He reached the final of the Paris Masters and he won the Stockholm Open. This year, Auger-Aliassime also experienced his first win against a top 10 player, defeating then-no. 10 player Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Indian Wells Masters.
Nadal in London, ranking, and results in 2019
Currently ranked no.1, Rafael has a 52-7 win-loss record in 2019. The Spaniard is now competing in London where he beat Daniil Medvedev 6-73 6-3 7-64 and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-74 6-4 7-5.
Denis Shapovalov’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.15 (career-high), the Canadian played his last match on the 3rd of November when he had to surrender to Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 in the final in Paris.
This year Shapovalov has a 33-25 win-loss record. Denis clinched 1 title in Stockholm. Denis was the finalist in Paris.
Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov played each other 3 times. The head to head is 2-1 for Nadal.