RAFA NADAL SUFFERS WORST DEFEAT IN FIVE YEARS AS TENNIS ICON HUMILIATED ON COURT NAMED AFTER HIM

Rafael Nadal's final Barcelona Open appearance ended in heartbreak as he suffered a comprehensive defeat to Alex de Minaur on a court named after him.

Nadal has won the tournament a record 12 times and the centre court was renamed Pista Rafa Nadal in his honour in 2017. However, he has crashed out in the second round this year after making 42 unforced errors in a 7-5 6-1 loss to De Minaur.

And with Nadal only winning six games during the match, that makes it his worst defeat since his 6-2 6-4 loss to Alexander Zverev in 2019 when he also won just six games. Despite the crushing loss, Nadal believes he has "taken a step forward" and is looking forward to competing at next month's French Open.

"I am leaving convinced that I have taken a step forward, it was not today where I had to be well, where I had to leave everything and die for it," Nadal insisted. "I have to give myself the option to do this in a few weeks, at least try.

"If I had died at a general level today, I would never have the opportunity to do so in a few weeks, so I have to play according to the objective I have. I have to measure according to how I feel, so I will play in Madrid according to this factor.

"If my body responds and I accumulate good training, I will be able to take a step forward in Madrid. If my body is capable of assimilating the loads progressively, that has to help me to demand more and more from it, but I don't know.

"On a logical level, the idea is to progress, but I'm not talking about winning games, but rather at the level of fighting for things. In Madrid, do a little better, in Rome a little more... and in Paris let it be whatever God wants. That's the time to try it."

De Minaur paid tribute to Nadal after his win, admitting it was "unforgettable" to face the Spaniard on the court named after him. "I can say I'm very, very fortunate I didn't play Rafa a couple years earlier on clay," De Minaur said.

"It would've been a very, very different result. Thank you to Rafa. He's a legend. It was unforgettable to play against Rafa on his court."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

2024-04-17T20:45:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd