In a historic moment for Australian tennis, Alex de Minaur achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Australian man ever to defeat Rafael Nadal on clay. De Minaur’s remarkable victory came during their second-round encounter at the Barcelona Open, where he triumphed over the legendary Spaniard with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1.
The world No. 11, who recently broke into the top 10 rankings, had previously faced Nadal four times, losing three of those encounters. However, this was the first time they met on the clay surface, where Nadal has reigned supreme for nearly two decades, asserting his dominance in men’s tennis.
Nadal, at 37 years old, was not in peak physical condition during the match, struggling with power on his serve due to ongoing abdominal issues that have plagued him in recent months. De Minaur capitalized on this opportunity, seizing control of the match and securing a historic win.
Despite his victory, De Minaur displayed humility and respect for his opponent, acknowledging that the outcome might have been different had he faced Nadal during his prime years of dominance in the sport.
“I’m very fortunate that I didn’t play Rafa a couple of years earlier on the clay,” De Minaur remarked in his on-court interview. “It would have been a very different match. It was an amazing experience.”
One of the key factors in De Minaur’s favor was his physicality, particularly given Nadal’s age and recent injury struggles. The Australian recognized this advantage, emphasizing his strategy of making the rallies long and utilizing his speed to keep Nadal on the move throughout the match.
“Probably the only thing I had over Rafa on clay is maybe my physicality, at this stage of his career,” De Minaur explained. “I decided to try to make the rallies long and to use my speed to my advantage… and make him move. But it wasn’t easy.”
Alex de Minaur moves past Nadal 7-5, 6-1 to reach the last 16 in Barcelona! ⏩
He awaits the winner of Altmaier/Fils.#BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/Mt1JlMItIz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 17, 2024
De Minaur’s historic victory sets the stage for further success in the tournament, where he will face either Arthur Fils or Daniel Altmaier in the next round. Meanwhile, Nadal, with his sights set on the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, will need to carefully consider his approach as he aims to regain full fitness and competitiveness on the tour.
De Minaur in Barcelona, ranking, and results in 2024
Now the world no.11, De Minaur has achieved a composed 23-7 win-loss record in 2024. Alex is currently having a run in Barcelona where he overcame the world no.644 Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-1.
Alex De Minaur will play the world no.36 Arthur Fils in the 3rd round on Thursday at 4:00 pm on PISTA ANDRES GIMENO. In the past, they have never played each other as of now in top tournaments.
Alex has won 1 title in 2024 in Acapulco. The Australian got to the final in Rotterdam (ABN AMRO Open).
The Australian won 8 titles in his career: 7 on hard courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alex De Minaur |
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