Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday April 27, 2024
Rafael Nadal took a big step in the right direction on Saturday at the Madrid Masters, upending 11th-ranked Alex de Minaur for his first Top 20 win since 2022 and showing some of the vintage he's known for on his beloved red clay.
The reigning Clay king was optimistic after his 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over De Minaur, but he was also honest about the difficulties he feels he still faces as the clock ticks down and Roland-Garros approaches.
“It's not about playing better, it's about playing worse,” Nadal told reporters in Madrid. “It's about going to court with real hope. Then anything is possible. But before the tournament [I need to] I hope I can play and I can play… several days in a row I fight for the balls that I have to fight to pass.
“If I have this hope, I will be in court. If I know before the competition that my body will not last the whole competition, I will not be on the court. That's the way I see it.”
DON RAFAEL NADAL PARERA. 👑@RafaelNadal #MMOVula pic.twitter.com/zrGr5HXtlC
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 27, 2024
Nadal has played four matches since resuming his season after tearing a hamstring in Brisbane in January, and has taken his form up a notch. Today he was in fine form, and cheered on by a heartbroken crowd as he cruised through what could have been his last game on home soil.
Cautiously – and very optimistic – the 37-year-old Nadal will continue to study the tea leaves and hope for good news from his body. It's all he can do for now.
“Every day is a test, and because I'm facing things I haven't been through for almost two years, that's it,” said Nadal. “In a way, that's why I can't stay fit, because if I know that my body will hold up well today, it will be a very happy day, because it will be a step forward, and moving forward is always very important.
“But for me the most important thing is to know that after today it's about winning or losing. Corner [about] if I can go to the court and try to do the same today or just fight for the game again. That's the thing. And I can't be sure about that, because today was the most important test since I came back.”
Five-time Madrid champion Nadal will face Argentina's Pedro Cachin in the third round.
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