Tag: Rafael Nadal

MELBOURNE: Injured defending champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset Wednesday, his worst Grand Slam result in seven years.

The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with a hip injury, slumped 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 at Rod Laver Arena.

Defeat opens the door for arch-rival Novak Djokovic to draw equal with Nadal’s record 22 Slam wins. The Serb is back in Melbourne after missing last year’s tournament when he was deported.

Top seed Nadal never settled, slumping a set behind before taking a medical timeout when a break down in the second set after hurting himself stretching for a forehand and grimacing in pain.

He battled on but was in clear discomfort with his movement hampered.

His wife Mery was seen in the crowd in tears.

“It has been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement,” said Nadal. “I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint.

“I was not able to hit the backhand at all. I was not able to run for the ball. But I just wanted to finish the match. That’s it.”

“I didn’t want to retire, as defending champion here. No, I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement.”

The last time Nadal fell so early at a Grand Slam was at the Australian Open in 2016, when he departed in the first round.

The pair had met once before, also in the second round of a Grand Slam. On that occasion, at the 2020 French Open, Nadal dropped just four games in a comfortable victory.

This time McDonald was always in control with Nadal immediately on the back foot, broken on his first service game, with the American bursting out to a 4-1 lead.

Nadal complained to the umpire that he was being rushed on his serve, before clawing a break back. He earned another break point at 4-5 to level it up, but the American held on and clinched the set.

Nadal left the court at the changeover, but it didn’t help, with his serve again failing to fire, broken early once more as McDonald continued to dominate.

The Spaniard was on shaky territory, but as he has done so many times before, he found a way to claw back and level the set at 2-2.

Incredible champion

But the errors began to creep in again and he was broken once more before hurting himself at 15-30 in the eighth game, which he lost before gingerly walking back to his seat.

The physio was called and he could be heard saying “hip” in Spanish before leaving the court for a medical timeout with his wife crying in the players’ box.

He returned and gamely carried on but was a shadow of his former self.

“It was pretty tough to stay mentally engaged but I found a way to just pull it out,” said McDonald.

“He’s an incredible champion, he’s never going to give up regardless of the situation. I was trying to stay focused on what I was trying to do and he kind of got me out of my rhythm, and I just got through it.”

Nadal created history on the same court last year with his five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final.

It saw him claim ownership of the record for most Grand Slam men’s singles titles on 21, ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer.

He added a 22nd at Roland Garros, while Djokovic won Wimbledon to move onto 21.

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MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal launched his Australian Open title defence with a four-set victory over Britain’s Jack Draper on Monday as home hope Nick Kyrgios quit through injury without hitting a ball.

In the women’s draw, top seed Iga Swiatek survived a tough examination while Jessica Pegula and teenage prodigy Coco Gauff were both emphatic winners on the first day of action.

Spanish great Nadal, 36, had been in poor form by his sky-high standards, losing six of his last seven matches stretching back to defeat in the last 16 at the US Open.

In fast-rising Draper, 21, the 22-time Grand Slam champion faced a stern test to start his campaign at a sweltering Melbourne Park.

The top seed recovered from a second-set wobble — and a bizarre incident when a ball boy accidentally took his racquet — to defeat the 38th-ranked Briton 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal, who recently became a father, faces American Mackenzie McDonald in round two.

“Very exciting, new beginning, just super-happy to be back at Rod Laver with a victory I needed,” he said after grinding down Draper.

“Last couple of months have not been easy for me.”

Nadal was on court when Australia’s talented but temperamental Kyrgios called a hastily arranged press conference and announced that he was out of the tournament with a knee injury.

“I’m devastated, obviously,” said the Wimbledon finalist, who was considered an outside bet to win a maiden Grand Slam crown.

“I’ve had some great tournaments here, winning the doubles last year and playing the tennis of my life probably going into this event.

“I’m just exhausted from everything, and (it’s) obviously pretty brutal.”

The first Grand Slam of the year had already lost several stars in the build-up.

Injured men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz and two-time Melbourne champion Naomi Osaka — who is expecting her first child — are among the other players missing.

Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who was detained and deported ahead of last year’s tournament after refusing to get vaccinated for Covid, begins his title assault on Tuesday.

Other winners on Monday included third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who saw off dogged Vasek Pospisil in an all-Canadian clash.

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, losing finalist in 2021 and 2022, fired up his bid to go one better with a straight-sets demolition of Marcos Giron.

But 21st seed Borna Coric fell to Czech player Jiri Lehecka in straight sets.

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SYDNEY: Rafael Nadal lost his opening match of the season Saturday in the countdown to the defence of his Australian Open title, but women’s world number one Iga Swiatek cruised to victory at the United Cup.

Nadal, who was also below-par at the season-ending ATP Finals in November, crashed to Britain’s 14th-ranked Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the mixed-teams tournament in Sydney.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion struggled with his first serve, getting just 58 percent in, which ultimately cost him a first defeat to Norrie in their fifth meeting.

“It’s pretty crazy, I never won a set before (against him) so firstly I wanted to do that and I had to stay super patient,” Norrie said after the 2hrs 44mins battle at a packed Ken Rosewall Arena.

“It was a super physical match and huge to get through that and finally beat him. He’s beaten me easy the last few times.”

There was little to separate them in the opening games, with a first break point in game six for Nadal, but Norrie saved with a half-volley.

Nadal’s relentless pressure earned him a second and this time the Spanish world number two converted with a searing cross-court forehand before methodically closing out the set in 52 minutes.

But his poor first-serve was an issue and he was broken to go 4-2 behind in the second set. He saved two set points but Norrie nailed a third on his serve to level at one set-all.

Nadal fired consecutive double faults to open set three and while he recovered to hold, his serve once more deserted him in the fifth game when he was broken and the 36-year-old couldn’t find a way back.

In Brisbane, Swiatek got Poland off to the perfect start with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.

She broke three times in the first set and twice in the second to completely overpower her opponent in just 64 minutes.

“I’m pretty happy with my performance — first matches of the season are always rusty so I’m happy that in the important moments I was very composed,” Swiatek said.

“I feel that representing Poland is always really special. I am willing to focus even more because when I go on court I have goosebumps.

“It’s hard to play so well when you’re so emotional, but I have to get used to it and I’m really proud to represent my country. I feel like this is a really inspiring tournament.”

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TURIN: Rafael Nadal saved some honour on Thursday, beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-5, as he bowed out of the ATP Finals in Turin at the pool stage.

Ruud had already qualified for the semi-finals and he was later joined from the Green Group by the American Taylor Fritz who came through a gruelling winner-take-all encounter with the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.

Nadal, the top seed in the event in the absence of injured world number one Carlos Alcaraz, had opened by losing his first two matches in the Green Group. He was already eliminated when he faced Ruud, who won his first two matches to book a semi-final spot.

“I have been practising well,” said Nadal, who was struggled with injury since scratching from the Wimbledon semi-final in July.

“Just probably not enough matches to be at the level that I needed to be. Not enough confidence, probably, after six tough months. That’s how it is. I accept that the season didn’t end the way that I wanted. At least I finished with a positive victory.”

Nadal, who sits second in the rankings, said he was happy with a season in which he won the first two Grand Slam titles, in Australia and at Roland Garros.

“I can’t ask for more,” said Nadal. “2022 has had a tough six months, two Grand Slams, and finishing the year in a high spot in the rankings.

“At my age, to be able to achieve and be competitive means a lot for me.”

Nadal already has the 2023 season, which begins in January, in his sights.

“For 2023, just let’s try to have the right preparation, work the proper way and start the season with the right energy, the right attitude, to reach the level that I need to be competitive from the beginning. Let’s try it, I am excited about it.”

Norwegian Ruud was not able to break his losing streak against players at the top of rankings and suffered an eighth straight defeat to a player in the top three. He has not won  a set in any of those losses.

Nadal crushed Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final at Roland-Garros in the spring.

On Thursday, on the very fast court of the Pala Alpitour, Nadal was particularly aggressive. His service was particularly effective, with 16 aces and just one double fault and allowed him to go to the net.

After saving two break points at 4-4, Nadal won the first set by converting his first break point.

The pattern was similar in the second set, except that Nadal was even more imperious on serve, conceding just three points in the set.

And it was with a winning cross-court backhand that he closed the match on Ruud’s serve.

Fritz, who was a late replacement at the Finals for injured world number one Carlos Alcaraz, had made a terrific start to the tournament with victory over Nadal.

But defeat at the hands of Ruud meant that his match with Auger-Aliassime was a play-off for the semi-finals.

Both big servers, they came out all guns blazing and neither player conceded a single break point in the opening set. Fritz quickly took the advantage in the tie-break to lead 6/3, before taking it with his second set point.

The second set was equally tight although this time it was the 22-year-old Canadian who got the advantage in the tie-break.

Fritz finally found a way through his opponent’s serve to go 4-2 in the third, going on to win the match after two hours 44 minutes.

Novak Djokovic has already qualified from the Red Group and he will be joined by the winner of Friday’s match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev.

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TURIN: Rafael Nadal’s hopes of a first-ever ATP Finals title and becoming year-end world number one hanging by a thread after he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in Turin on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Spaniard has lost both his matches in Turin — he fell to Taylor Fritz on Sunday — and will need to win his last Green Group match against Casper Ruud to keep alive his chances.

Even then it might be out of his hands.

Ruud — who beat Auger-Aliassime in their opening clash — faces Taylor Fritz later on Tuesday.

Nadal played like someone in just their third singles match since the US Open whereas Auger-Aliassime is in the form of his life having won three titles in October.

“It is great to win against him, and stay alive in the tournament!” said Auger-Aliassime.

“I have played some great tennis in the past month and to then beat a player of his stature is very special.”

Nadal spurned all four of his break points in the first set, though his 22-year-old Canadian opponent produced two superb forehands to stave off a break at 3-3.

Auger-Aliassime by contrast made no mistake breaking the Spaniard with the only one he was offered.

The Canadian was equally clinical when he was presented with two set points converting the first of them.

Nadal fared little better in the second set, as the lack of competitive matches showed  – he had taken a break to spend time with his son, who was born in October.

Auger-Aliassime took the match by the scruff of the neck as he broke Nadal at 1-1, the Spaniard sending a loose volley long.

Auger-Aliassime was hitting the ball with sublime accuracy and could afford a rueful smile when one did not go as smoothly, flying upwards into the roof of the indoor arena.

Nadal had few chances to put Auger-Aliassime under pressure with the Canadian playing so well but he had a break point — the first of the second set for him — on his rival’s serve at 2-3.

However, once again he was unable to seize it and Auger-Aliassime went on to hold his serve and was never troubled from that point on, eventually closing out the match on the first of two match points.

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PARIS: Spain reigns at the summit of men’s tennis with Carlos Alcaraz holding world number one spot in the ATP rankings released on Monday with compatriot Rafael Nadal moving back up to second.

Nadal, 36, benefited from Casper Ruud’s quarter-final exit in Seoul where he was top seed, to move ahead of the Norwegian.

Novak Djokovic, winner of his third tournament this season in Tel Aviv, stays seventh but scores 250 precious points in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, his end-of-season goal.

The Serb was competing in his first singles tournament in Israel since claiming a seventh Wimbledon crown in July, and can still earn points this week in the Astana ATP tournament.

Croat Marin Cilic gained two places moving from 16th to 14th, thanks to his reaching the final in Tel Aviv.

Rankings:

1. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 6740 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5810 (+1)

3. Casper Ruud (NOR) 5645 (-1)

4. Daniil Medvedev 5065

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5040

6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4810

7. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3820

8. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 3445

9. Andrey Rublev 3345

10. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3175 (+1)

11. Taylor Fritz (USA) 3055 (+1)

12. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3040 (-2)

13. Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2950

14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2495 (+2)

15. Pablo Carreño (ESP) 2360 (-1)

16. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2360 (-1)

17. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2110

18. Karen Khachanov 1990

19. Frances Tiafoe (USA) 1940

20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1780

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LONDON: Swiss legendary Tennis player Roger Federer put an end to his illustrious career following a doubles defeat alongside Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup 2022 clash against Team World on Saturday.

The legendary tennis player, who announced to retire from the professional sport last week took on the court for the final time on Saturday with his traditional rival Nadal representing Team Europe against Team World at the Laver Cup.

It appeared to be a flawless swansong for Federer, and much of it appeared to be on track as he, alongside Nadal, claimed the first set with ease. But, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World, disrupted the festivities, winning the match 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9.

Federer hugged Nadal and his teammates after the match before breaking down in tears. The camera then caught sight of Nadal in tears as well.

All the Fedal feelings.#LaverCup pic.twitter.com/WKjhcADFoe

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 24, 2022

 

The footage of the two legendary tennis players sharing an emotional moment has been making rounds on social media and received a lot of praise from sports fans.

“It’s been wonderful. And of course playing with Rafa, on the same team, having all the guys here and all the legends, Rocket [Rod Laver], Stefan Edberg – thank you. It is amazing, it really is [to share the court with Rafa and the others]. I didn’t want it to feel lonely out there. It felt lonely for a second when they told me to come out one more time, it didn’t feel great. But to say goodbye in a team, I always felt I was a team player at heart,” Federer said during his emotional farewell speech on Saturday.

“Singles doesn’t really do that a whole lot but I’ve had a team that travelled with me around the world. It’s been amazing with them. Thanks to everybody who made it work for so many years. Of course being on a team with Andy [Murray], Thomas [Enqvist], Novak [Djokovic], Matteo [Berrettini], Cam [Norrie], Stefanos [Tsitsipas], Rafa and Casper [Ruud] – and also the other team – you guys are unbelievable.”

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NEW YORK: Emma Raducanu became only the third defending champion to exit the US Open in the first round on Tuesday while four-time winner Rafael Nadal overcame an early scare against a player ranked 198 in the world.

Raducanu, 19, slumped to a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to veteran French player Alize Cornet who is competing in a record 63rd consecutive Grand Slam.

Nadal saw off Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 to register his 65th career win in New York.

Also going through to a politically-charged clash were three-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.

Raducanu has struggled in the spotlight of being a Grand Slam winner, failing to get beyond the second round of any of the previous three majors in 2022.

“In a way, I’m happy because it’s a clean slate. The target will be off my back,” said the teenager.

World number three Nadal, who is chasing a 23rd Grand Slam title and third of 2022, arrived at the tournament having played just one match since an abdominal injury forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semi-final.

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LONDON: The Spaniard Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday to withdraw from Wimbledon after failing to recover from his abdominal injury.

Nadal, who battled out the injury in the enduring quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, has announced his withdrawal from the tournament in a press conference.

“I have to pull out of the tournament. As everybody saw yesterday I have been suffering with the pain in the abdominal area. I have a tear in the muscle,” he said

Spaniard’s semifinal opponent Nick Kyrgios, as a result, has received a walk over to the final where he will face either the defending champion Novak Djokovic or Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

Nadal was seen struggling with the injury during the hard-fought quarterfinal victory over Fritz, which lasted four hours and 21 minutes. The Spaniard also took medical time in the second set and returned to the court and recovered twice from a set down to claim a hard-earned victory.

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LONDON: Rafael Nadal overcame an injury to beat Taylor Fritz and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for an eighth time on Wednesday, keeping alive his dream of a calendar Grand Slam.

The second seed lost the first set and had to take a medical time-out in the second but raised his game to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/4) in a match lasting four hours and 21 minutes.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will play maverick Australian Nick Kyrgios for a place in Sunday’s final.

He admitted he was suffering from an abdominal problem.

“For a lot of moments I was thinking I would not be able to finish the match but the crowd, the energy, thanks for that,” said the Spaniard.

“I honestly enjoy a lot playing these kind of matches in front of you guys. I can’t thank you enough for the support.”

A pumped-up Nadal raced out of the blocks to take a 3-1 lead but then lost five straight games to the 11th seed to lose the first set.

The players swapped breaks in the second set but Nadal was not moving freely and when leading 4-3 he sat down on his chair, shaking his head at his team.

The trainer came on before Nadal left the court for a medical time-out to treat what appeared his injury.

When he returned, Fritz served out to love, with Nadal’s movement still looking hampered.

But the Spaniard twice held serve comfortably to lead 6-5 and a backhand volley into the open court sealed the second set, to roars from the crowd.

Nadal, 36, was now moving more freely but the pendulum swung again early in the third set when the two-time Wimbledon winner double-faulted to hand his American opponent a break.

The trainer returned, this time to attend to strapping on his Fritz’s left thigh and the American resumed playing, breaking again to take the third set.

There were five breaks in a topsy-turvy fourth set as both players struggled for consistency on their serve but Nadal came out on top to level the match.

The first six games of the deciding set went with serve before Nadal produced a backhand drop-shot winner to break after a hard-fought seventh game.

Fritz broke back straight away when Nadal netted with a backhand.

The set went to a tie-break and Nadal seized control, racing into a 9-3 lead and completing the win on his second match point.

Nadal, who has already won the Australian Open and the French Open this year, is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.

He is also bidding to win his 23rd Grand Slam title and equal Serena Williams in second place on the all-time list for most Grand Slam singles titles. Margaret Court is the leader on 24 titles.

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