Rafael Nadal has stated that he feels satisfied by his comeback to the ATP Tour though the Spaniard was eliminated from the Barcelona Open at the earliest point in his career since 2003.
Alex de Minaur defeated Nadal 7-5, 6-1 marking just the 12-time tournament champion’s sixth defeat in Barcelona. In the opening set, the 37-year-old did have a chance to break for a 5-4 advantage, but his Australian opponent stayed firm and won the second set easily.
Nadal evaluated his performance after competing in his first clay-court competition since winning Roland Garros in 2022. He also shared his schedule for the upcoming weeks, which includes Roland Garros.
Nadal said in his press conference after the match: “On a personal level, for what is to come, the 6-1 in the second set is what had to happen today. It wasn’t today that I had to give everything and die, I have to give myself the chance to do that in a few weeks, or at least try to. I will try to take a step further in Madrid, then another one in Rome and, in Paris. There is the moment to do it, whatever happens, there is no better place to.”
Nadal described how much he had improved in such a short period, despite reports that he was having trouble serving because of an abdominal ailment.
He added: “I didn’t practice a lot, so that [performance] encourages me to keep going. It tells me that, if I’m able to spend days on the tour and keep practising with the players, I hope and believe that I can keep being competitive. If my body allows me to push the way that I need.”
"I will try to take another step forward in Madrid, then in Rome and, if in a tournament it is worth going out there to give everything and die for it, then it is in Paris."
Rafael Nadal 🐂 pic.twitter.com/NrmTdVpINI
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) April 18, 2024
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Ranked no.644, Rafael played his last match on the 17th of April when he was overcome by world no.11 Alex De Minaur 7-5 6-1 in the 2nd round in Barcelona (draw).
During this season Nadal owns an overall 3-2 match record.
He is also scheduled to play in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) on the 24th of April and Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) on the 8th of May.
