Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas played a memorable final in Barcelona last Sunday. Eventually, it was the King of Clay to win the match after saving 1 Championship point.
Nadal and Tsitsipas practically played at the very same level for the entire match. However, there was 1 aspect that made all the difference between Rafa in Stefanos. The Spanish sensation was simply much better than Tsitsipas in converting the break points and therefore, winning the important rallies.
Rafael Nadal converted 33% of his break points (4-12). On the other side, Stefanos Tsitsipas won only 15% of the break points that he conquered (2/13).
In tennis, winning important points has always been a crucial factor. This is a clear example.
After the match, Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed that, in his opinion, he lost the final just for 20 centimeters when Nadal managed to save a championship point while one of his shots caressed the net.
At that level, it is all about details.
Rafael Nadal in 2021
Now the world no.3, Nadal played his last match on the 25th of April when he beat world no.5 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in the final in Barcelona to win his 87th career title.
During this season the Spaniard achieved an overall 11-2 win-loss record. This year, Nadal lifted the trophy in Barcelona.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021
Now the world no.5 (career-high), Tsitsipas played his last match on the 25th of April when he lost to world no.3 Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in the final in Barcelona (draw).
At the moment, during this season Tsitsipas has achieved a 26-6 match record. This year, Tsitsipas conquered 1 tournament in Monte-Carlo. Stefanos was the runner-up in Acapulco and in Barcelona.
Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas fought against each other 9 times. Their current record is 7-2 for Nadal. Previously, the last time they locked horns, Rafael Nadal won 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell) on the 25th of April 2021.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
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