Category: ATP Madrid

Nadal gets revenge win over De Minaur, Tsitsipas crashes out

April 27, 2024

Rafael Nadal gained revenge over Alex De Minaur and booked his place in the Madrid Open third round with a 7-6(6) 6-3 victory.

Nadal started in ideal fashion after breaking De Minaur in the Australian’s first service game to move 2-0 in front, before the world No. 11 hit back immediately to halve the deficit.

After a further break of serve each for both players in a pulsating opener, the first set went to a tie-break that proved to be just as enthralling.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion delighted the Spanish crowd by moving 6-2 in front to get four set points in the bank, but they all came and went.

However, set point number five came after a stunning two-handed backhand, and Nadal drew first blood as De Minaur hit a long forehand return after an hour and 16 minutes of play.

Nadal took an early break at the start of the second set and moved 3-1 ahead with an emphatic hold to love.

The Spaniard was showing his class and moved daylight between himself at De Minaur at 4-2 with a wonderful backhand.

It was looking much more straightforward for Nadal, with De Minaur having few answers to a devastating array of shots from the former world No. 1.

It was that stunning backhand which came to the fore once again which set up two match points on De Minaur’s serve at 5-3, and the first came and went as a De Minaur double fault sealed the deal.

The 37-year-old can now look forward to a match against Pedro Cachin, after the Argentine overcame Frances Tiafoe earlier on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, Nadal said: I’m super happy to be competitive against a great player like Alex, playing two hours means a lot to me.

“The atmosphere here is a joke, so I can’t thank everybody enough.

“If I am able to play tennis for a few weeks in a row, then I will see how far I can go. It’s just a case of going step by step and seeing how things go.”

Tsitsipas stunned by Monteiro

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas was stunned with a second-round defeat to Thiago Monteiro.

The Brazilian claimed a 6-4 6-4 win and faces Jiri Lehecka in round three.

Monteiro took an early break to move 2-1 up in the first set and drew first blood on his second set point after 39 minutes of play.

He moved a set and a break ahead at the start of the second, before Tsitsipas fought back and swatted away two match points to take a crucial hold at 5-4.

However, it only prolonged the inevitable, as the world No.118 progressed after a fourth match point to dump out the world No. 7.

Speaking after the match he said: “For sure it’s one of the biggest wins of my career. I knew it would be a tough match. I tried to just believe in myself all the time.

“I was feeling really good on the court and I’ve been playing for three matches already. I had a bit of rhythm and confidence. I just fought until the end and believed.”

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Alcaraz cruises past Shevchenko despite ‘not feeling comfortable’ on return from injury

April 26, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz admitted he was still “not feeling comfortable” with the right forearm injury that forced him to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open after he dominated Alexander Shevchenko to move into the last 32 of the Madrid Open.

The 20-year-old had his right arm strapped when he stepped on court to begin his title defence in the Spanish capital and needed little more than an hour to wrap up a 6-2 6-1 victory.

Alcaraz will face Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild as he continues his preparation for next month’s French Open.

“The last month I just practised slices, volleys and backhands so I think it worked pretty well today,” Alcaraz said afterwards.

“That’s something that I was thinking about approaching this match, trying to hit the forehand really softer and trying to be aggressive with the backhand and trying to get to the net as soon as possible and I think I did a really good match in that part.”

The No. 2 seed made the perfect start, breaking his opponent in the first game of the match before racing into a 4-1 lead.

Shevchenko threatened to get back into the opener when he broke back for 4-2, but Alcaraz quickly extinguished those hopes with another break before he held to seal the first set.

The second followed a similar pattern. Again Alcaraz moved a double break up before Shevchenko responded, but the Spaniard proved far too good in the end.

An exquisite drop shot on the stretch earned Alcaraz a match point on his opponent’s serve and his progress was sealed when Shevchenko fired long.

Despite being unable to fire his forehand at its usual ferocity, Alcaraz still hit 24 winners and clinically converted seven of 11 break points.

Asked if his right arm was still bothering him, he added: “Not at all, but I’m thinking about it. It’s not going to leave my mind I think. This Monday was the first [proper] practice I did in a while.

“Coming into this week I’ve been doing good things in practice, getting harder let’s say, but today I’m not feeling comfortable playing my forehand 100%.

“I think playing at this level, I’m really happy to do it and I think I can [still] be competitive.”

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‘I didn’t test my body’ – Nadal still undecided on French Open return

April 26, 2024

Nadal was dominant throughout with seemingly no fitness issues. But after besting Blanch in a match that lasted only a few minutes longer than an hour, perhaps the fact that Nadal doesn’t feel adequately tested isn’t too surprising.

“Today I played against an opponent with a future in front (of him), but today he’s still making mistakes. So I just tried to be there, be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks and (it) worked well.

“I mean, I didn’t test much my body today. I think I played a decent match doing the things that I had to do to be through, but at the same time, I played against a player that today – I don’t know in a few weeks – he’s not solid enough yet because he’s making more mistakes.”

The 14-time French Open winner has yet to fully commit to playing at Roland-Garros, admitting that he’s yet to feel 100% since recovering from various hip and abdominal injuries since the beginning of 2023.

The 37-year-old cast further doubt on his participation on Wednesday, saying he would not play if he continued in his current state and will only travel to Paris if he feels competitive.

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‘Means a lot to me’ – Nadal reacts after beating Blanch in Madrid

When asked how his current condition compares to his top level, Nadal replied: “I try to play at my 100%, but I can’t give my 100% every day. I give my 100% everyday. The thing is before, most of the time, I was able to give my 100% of the 100%.

“Today, I’m able to give my 100% of sometimes 40%, sometimes 60%, sometimes 70%, and if I am able to raise this percentage day after day or week after week, why not in the future, what can happen? If not, it’s impossible.”

Nadal is no stranger to coming back from injury, but as retirement looms, he says this comeback is a “different story”.

“It’s part of my tennis career too. I went through a lot of injuries and I had to be back. And the good is that I was able to be back strong very quick. That’s why I was able to achieve so many records in terms of holding my ranking in a very high position for such a long time and to be competitive.

“Today is a different story. I mean, I never had this super long period of time without playing, and important surgeries, and I’ve never had that in almost 38 (years), I was in a different age.

“I’m trying as always and let’s see. I am not negative, I’m just realistic. I am here to try to explore what can happen in the next couple of weeks.”

The Madrid Open is just his third tournament this year after Brisbane in January and Barcelona earlier this month.

Nadal continues injury comeback with dominant win over Blanch

April 25, 2024

Rafael Nadal continued his comeback from injury with a commanding 6-1 6-0 victory over unseeded 16-year-old Darwin Blanch at the Madrid Open on Thursday.

The test against Blanch was a continuation in Nadal’s clay preparations and served as a good fitness test with the teenager looking to challenge the Spaniard at the back of the court. Nadal responded astutely to dispatch the American within one hour and 52 minutes of play.

After losing the first game to love, Blanch instantly responded with two aces to open his first service game. Despite a positive and aggressive approach, the American could not match Nadal’s return game and was broken to 30, allowing the Spaniard to seize an advantage.

Blanch, who received a wild card to the Madrid tournament and is ranked outside of the top 1000, picked up his first game to make it 3-1, holding Nadal to love.

Nadal continued his clay season and comeback from injury but doubts remain over his participation in the upcoming French Open. A hip issue kept the Spaniard sidelined for most of last season, and the Madrid Open is just his third tournament this year after Brisbane in January and Barcelona earlier this month.

But fitness was not a visible issue on court against Blanch, as Nadal’s years of pedigree culminated in a dominant display which saw the former world No. 1 wrap up the opening set within 28 minutes as he cruised to a 6-1 scoreline.

Blanch, taking part in just his second major ATP event, displayed moments of quality but struggled to cope with the ferocity of Nadal’s display and dropped 15 unforced errors in the opening set.

The 16-year-old threatened a response at the beginning of the second set, taking Nadal to deuce with some even baseline exchanges, but was again made to rue unforced errors as Nadal broke the youngster’s opening service game.

At 2-0 down and 40-40, Blanch hit a stunning cross-court forehand after a well-contested rally to open up advantage. Nadal, though, navigated the situation superbly to overturn the advantage and break the youngster’s serve for the fourth time in the match.

Blanch continued to try to better Nadal from the back of the court but the Spaniard’s class shone through in a dominant second set which saw the 16-year-old fail to pick up a game, despite going to deuce on three occasions.

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Exclusive: ‘No mercy for anyone’ – Tsitsipas reveals recollections of facing ‘ruthless’ Nadal

April 24, 2024

Stefanos Tsitsipas has described Rafael Nadal as “completely ruthless” and showing “no mercy for anyone” as he recalled his memories of facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Tsitsipas and Nadal have met nine times, with the first coming in the 2018 Barcelona Open final.

Tsitsipas was 19 years old and was dismissed in 77 minutes as Nadal won 6-2 6-1 to lift the trophy for an 11th time.

A year earlier the court they were playing on in Barcelona had been named after Nadal.

Asked about his recollections of facing Nadal, Tsitsipas told Eurosport: “He is ruthless, has no mercy for anyone.

“I felt that for the first time when I played him in Barcelona and he was completely ruthless.

“I remember his energy after the coin toss. It just felt like the stadium belongs to him and I haven’t felt that with a lot of tennis players that I’ve played and it’s really intimidating in a way.

“As a youngster, you’re not used to this feeling when you’re facing someone. So it was definitely something that I still carry with me mentally – I remember that feeling.

“It took a while to get used to his ball to get used to also forget who is on the other side of the net. Because of course, I grew up watching him. I even had a poster in my room of him.

“So it’s difficult in the beginning. You’re like, he’s my childhood hero.

“It took a few times to get over it, and eventually I did get an amazing win against him in Madrid [in 2019], which I still remember vividly and it brings back a sense of a great accomplishment.

“I would definitely consider that one of my best wins against him. And I do have a lot of respect for him because he has done things that I don’t think any other tennis player has done besides Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

“These are three guys that have really pushed the sport to its limits. It doesn’t go any further and it sometimes shows us that these people are not even human beings in a way.”

It has been a welcome return to form after a below-par 12 months that had seen Tsitsipas drop out of the top 10 for the first time in five years.

“The goal is to keep a positive mindset and to just continue working hard every day,” said Tsitsipas, who is now at No. 7 in the rankings.

“I’m not going to think too much of myself cause we’re just getting started. We’ve only played two tournaments so far on clay and I want to do big things here as well, and in Rome. I really hope I can go for a far in these tournaments.

“Just let’s continue building on the mindset and getting step by step to the desired goals and the achievements that I want to pretty much outperform myself in a way.”

Reflecting on his improvements over the last few months, he said: “I was really committed to just try and get better.

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‘Never played really well here’ – Sinner hoping for improved showing in Madrid

“Now this is a good opportunity and the work continues. I have no desire to stop and to just push further myself. I feel like the comeback has been good.

“I left the top 10 few weeks ago now I’m back and now I really need to push it further because I don’t want to be just in the top 10. I want bigger things than that.

“I want to come back in the top three, I would love to see myself there. But I know that it takes dedication to get back into the top three and not just dedication, the right results.

“I hope by Roland-Garros, this can take place, but of course, hope is not enough. I have to show the work on the court as well.”

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Nadal reveals French Open doubts, says he ‘wouldn’t play if it was today’

April 24, 2024

Rafael Nadal has revealed his continuing doubts over his fitness, saying if the French Open started today he wouldn’t play.

Nadal missed almost all of last season after undergoing hip surgery and has only played two tournaments this year due to injury issues – Brisbane in January and Barcelona earlier this month.

“It’s difficult right now to say what’s ideal and what’s not,” he said.

“The ideal would be being able to play without many limitations, and whatever happens I don’t really care. If I were able to play with some limitations and I’d lose tomorrow, it would be good for me. But it’s tough.

“The sensations this week haven’t been perfect. With my mindset, if I had to play tomorrow, maybe I wouldn’t play. But as I said before, with Madrid there are many emotional factors coming together, and I feel compelled to go and play for personal motives.

“This doesn’t mean that I would be giving up anything in the coming weeks. But this isn’t an upwards process, in a straight line. I don’t know what could happen.

“I will try, as I always say, without trying to confuse anybody. I don’t know what will happen in the next three weeks. I will be fighting and doing the things I deem necessary, so I can play in Paris. And if I can, then I will. And if I can’t, then I won’t.

“I won’t be playing in Paris if by then I feel the way I feel right now. If I was in Paris today, I wouldn’t go out to play. This is the reality.

“We’ll see what happens. The world does not end with Roland-Garros, although it has been the most important tournament of my career. If I don’t play Paris, there are other tournaments there; there is an Olympics soon and other events. I am not going to do more than I feel capable of doing or have the desire to do.”

Nadal will play his opening match in Madrid on Thursday.

He is a five-time champion at the tournament and this could be his final appearance as 2024 is expected to be his last year on tour.

“The goal is be on court. Enjoy as long as possible,” he said.

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‘Honestly was so scared’ – Alcaraz on meeting Nadal for first time

“I mean, that’s the thing, try to finish the tournament alive in terms of body issues, and enjoy the fact that I will be able to compete one more time in the professional tour and here at home in Madrid, a place that give me everything, no, in terms of support.”

Nadal added that he is giving himself “a chance” and hopes to “find better feelings” going forward.

“I don’t lose hope. I just accept the situation that I have today. I mean, I am not playing bad. It’s about more body limitations.”

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Alcaraz admits he was ‘so scared’ when he first played Nadal

April 24, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz admits he was “so scared” to play Rafael Nadal when the pair first went head-to-head in 2021.

The 20-year-old spoke to the press ahead of the Madrid Masters, with the Spaniard set to play for the first time since Miami after being sidelined with a forearm injury.

While he gets set to finally get his clay court season under way, Alcaraz also wanted to turn back the clock on a tournament where he has an eventful history.

It was here in Madrid that the generations first clashed, Alcaraz playing his hero and fellow countryman Nadal on the clay three years ago. Nadal emerged a fairly comprehensive 6-1 6-2 winner, with the moment getting to his opponent – who was celebrating his 18th birthday that very day.

“It’s difficult, honestly it’s so difficult to face him. The first time in 2021 I honestly was so scared, I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz recalled.

“I couldn’t play – his presence, that atmosphere, you feel it’s unbelievable, it’s difficult.”

The two met again the following year in Indian Wells, with that match going to three sets before Alcaraz finally tasted victory against the King of Clay back in Madrid the following year, grinding out a famous win in three sets.

“The next time we learned a lot just how to deal with that situation, we are tennis players, we learned a lot and you want to be the best you know,” Alcaraz continued.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal attend The Netflix Slam at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Image credit: Getty Images

“The next time I faced him I didn’t feel as scared, I just wanted to beat him and just wanted to go for it and that’s all you have to think about it but I’m not going to lie, it is difficult.”

Alcaraz returns to Madrid this week as a two-time winner and where he really announced himself to the world as a future Grand Slam champion when he beat Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in consecutive matches in 2022 – all three ranked in the top four of the world at the time.

Since then, the Spaniard has gone on to lift two Grand Slam trophies at the US Open and Wimbledon, but whether he can make a tilt at a third at Roland-Garros next month remains to be seen.

Factor in Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, not to mention Nadal himself, and it looks like being one of the most open Roland-Garros fields in recent memory.

But first up for Alcaraz will be to find his feet on the clay courts of Madrid, as he begins to try and defend his title here, before turning his attention to Rome and then the French Open. He has a first round bye, and will play either Alexander Shevchenko or Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.

As for another potential match up against Nadal, that would have to wait until the final with the duo drawn on opposite sides of the draw.

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‘Everyone can make mistakes’ – Sinner keen to ‘forget’ Monte Carlo controversy

April 24, 2024
Jannik Sinner’s incredible record this year reads 25-2, but one of those losses was the last match he played – a semi-final in Monte Carlo against Stefanos Tsitsipas. It was a match that featured a controversial line call, but the Italian was keen to move on from that moment as he looks to get back to winning ways in Madrid.
Sinner is the top seed this week, in the absence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He has a first-round bye before opening up against either Richard Gasquet or Lorenzo Sonego – but first, he sat down with Eurosport to discuss that Monte Carlo moment.

Sinner was leading against Tsitsipas in the third set and had a break point on the Greek’s serve – only for a second serve to be called in, when it missed the line. It is the sort of moment a match can hinge on, and so it proved with Tsitsipas using that as a springboard to claw his way back into the set, handing Sinner just his second defeat of the year so far.

“Everyone can make mistakes, for me what happened, happened. I’m a guy that tries to forget about this as fast as possible. I accept these kinds of things, there is no reason to get p***** or to get angry.

“For sure in this moment it was a little bit like this and for sure the next day, wanting to be on the court playing instead of at home but you know, this you have to accept.”

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Italy’s Jannik Sinner (L) leaves the court next to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas (R) at the end of their Monte Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament semi final.

Image credit: Getty Images

That moment aside, Sinner’s season could hardly have gone better – three trophies lifted from five tournaments entered, including that maiden Grand Slam title in Australia. His recent success might be all on hard courts but he does have previous on clay too, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz on the red stuff back in 2022.

And clay is set to play an even bigger part in the calendar this year, with the Olympics being staged at Roland-Garros.

But after such a busy start to the year, Sinner opted to miss Barcelona and instead get some much-needed rest and relaxation in while he could – with the tour non-stop from here all the way to the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics.

“I just tried to recover a little bit [after Monte Carlo], not just from the physical side but from the mental side, I had a very intense start to the season which I’m very happy and proud about,” he continued.

“I just went to my parents’ home, two days, not long and then this is just what I need sometimes. I love to spend time with great people, so that gives me a lot of energy.”

Sinner finds himself in the same half of the draw as a certain Rafael Nadal this week – the duo have met three times on clay, with the Italian yet to take a set off the Spanish legend. But they haven’t met since 2021, and Sinner is a different player than he was back then. And it’s clear that he would relish the opportunity to meet the clay-court GOAT once again.

“I was very excited when I played against him [at Roland-Garros] because it’s a test to see how far you are, what you have to improve and this for me, it was a really nice moment whenever I had the chance to play against him,” he said.

“Especially in Roland-Garros and now he’s back here, it’s so nice to see him around, hopefully he can stay as long as possible, hopefully his body feels better and better day after day.

“I wish him only the best because he gave so much positive things for not only me but to all of the really young players, to show us what fighting spirit really is. So I’m just really happy to see him around.”

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