Reality bites for Rafael Nadal as he is handed a heavy defeat on the Barcelona clay
Rafael Nadal’s return to the ATP Tour sparked lavish claims that he could be a contender to win a 15th French Open title this summer, but a harsh reality kicked in for the Spanish icon at the Barcelona Open.
Nadal’s latest comeback bid came to an end as he was well beaten 7-5 6-1 by fourth seed Alex de Minaur at the Barcelona Open.
The 37-year-old was playing just his second tournament in 15 months after suffering another hip problem at his comeback event in Brisbane in January.
And having intimated that this will be his final year before retirement, Nadal’s defeat was likely to mark his final appearance at a tournament he has won 12 times.
Having overcome Italian Flavio Cobolli in the opening round, Nadal faced a much sterner test against the in-form De Minaur and was sent scampering around the court in a tight opening set which was edged by the Australian.
De Minaur went on to step up a gear, securing a double break over the Spaniard and racing over the line behind a strong service game on which he did not drop a single point in the second set.
“I think about the only thing I might have on Rafa on clay is physicality at this stage of his career,” said De Minaur said.
“I decided to try and make the rallies quite physical and long, use my speed to my advantage. It’s never easy against him.
“When the draw came out, I probably wasn’t too keen on playing Rafa, but I turned my attitude around and looked at it like a huge opportunity and a once in a lifetime opportunity,” De Minaur said. “I’m extremely happy that I was able to get the win.
“I can probably say that I’m very, very fortunate that I didn’t play Rafa a couple years earlier on the clay. It would have been very, very different result.
“An amazing experience and we move on. It’s been a great year.”
This was always likely to be the acid test for Nadal as he made his first appearance at an ATP Tour event since January and only his second appearance on the tour since January 2023.
Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among those suggesting Nadal could be a contender at the French Open so long as his name was on the draw sheet.
READ MORE: Rafael Nadal told he is not a French Open contender because his ‘fear factor’ is gone
Yet this humbling experience against De Minaur confirmed he has a long way to go before he could be seen as a realistic contender for a Grand Slam title.
The first set Nadal produced against De Minaur was hugely impressive for a player who has barely any match practice under his belt, but De Minaur’s class shone through as he found a way to break with a brilliant game at 5-5.
Once he served out to win the set, Nadal faded as he played matches in quick succession on a clay court for the first time since the summer of 2022.
“Everyone knows that I am no longer a favourite to win a tournament, but there is a story behind it that matters,” said Nadal after his opening round win in Barcelona.
“Maybe it’s not the week to squeeze everything my heart tells me. We are going to do things in the most logical way possible. The fact that the match went like this is positive because it allows me to play again tomorrow.
“I don’t know how my body can respond to these kinds of demands but we have to be realistic. I have played very little this year and a half, and I will try not to cross dangerous lines.
“There is an important change to how I was a week ago, now I see myself competing and I can continue playing.
“In sport things change very quickly, but in my head, within what has been my history on clay I always have the small dream of aspiring too much but the reality is different.”
It is strange to hear Nadal speaking in such downbeat terms about his chances of winning matches on a clay court, but De Minaur provided a reminder of the scale of the challenge the Spaniard faces to get back in contention for big prizes in what is likely to be the final year of his career.
Can this Rafael Nadal win seven best of five-set matches at the French Open against opponents who are operating at a different level of physical fitness than he will ever have again?
The greatest champions should never be written off, but Nadal faces his biggest challenge yet to emerge as a winner once again.
