Rafael Nadal thrilled his home fans and proved he is not finished yet by defeating Alex de Minaur in a dramatic match at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Spanish tennis legend showcased flashes of his vintage form in a statement second-round victory, winning 7-6 (7-6) 6-3.
Nadal, who had suffered a straight-sets defeat to De Minaur in Barcelona, turned the tables with an inspired performance at the Caja Magica. The match was attended by the King of Spain and former Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Zinedine Zidane.
In a tense moment during the match, Nadal had a disagreement with umpire Fergus Murphy over a missed challenge, adding to the drama on the court. Despite facing some challenges from De Minaur, Nadal remained resilient and eventually secured the win, much to the delight of the crowd.
Reflecting on his performance, Nadal humbly stated that he is not back to his old form yet but was pleased with his level of play. He expressed gratitude for the support from the fans and emphasized taking things step by step in his comeback journey.
Nadal will now face Argentina’s Pedro Cachin in the next round, setting the stage for another exciting match. As the Madrid Open continues, tennis fans can catch all the action, including Nadal’s matches, exclusively live on Sky Sports Tennis. Don’t miss out on the thrilling matches and stay tuned for more updates from the tournament.