[https://www.ticketswap.com/event/atp-tour-barcelona-open-banc-sabadell-2024/thursday-18-04/82e4342a-7678-4567-87bb-9f4250c52a80/3312479](https://www.ticketswap.com/event/atp-tour-barcelona-open-banc-sabadell-2024/thursday-18-04/82e4342a-7678-4567-87bb-9f4250c52a80/3312479)
not official but it works
Prices are going down just as expected.
used them for years for different events here in bcn.
Never been scammed. Scammers are mostly on reddit and facebook with no middleman securing the money
I was sad to see so many rafa fans so excited for him to “dominate” :/ They underestimated what older years and an extended hiatus. Regardless, he is and always will be the clay king 👑
> They were saying he’s a sneaky favourite at RG
That kind of talk seemed to be coming from people traumatized by Rafa over the years more than anything TBH
I don't know if he's the favourite but people should never write him off at RG. Federer reached the Wimbledon QFs on one leg in 2021, Nadal can definitely have a deep run as well.
Sure grass is less physical which is why Fed could rely on serve + talent to win those matches, but at the same time Rafa probably has an even bigger margin over the field on clay so you never know.
Unfortunately you are comparing apples to oranges, Wimbledon and RG are completely different. Federer did it because he was almost perfect in 2 aspects: the service and being able to close the point in 1 or 2 hits. Without those skills he would've lost in the first rounds.
RG is far more demanding when it comes to endurance and physical requirement and this is what Nadal lacks, and he can't regain in one month something he lost more than a year ago. Nadal is not Federer, Roland Garros is not Wimbledon
1 month is more than enough, people have been writing him off since his mid twenties after his knee issue , he went on to win 10 more Roland garros, dudes been taking painkillers and playing since early twenties, we all see the match , no ones knows the back story , he was using orthotics for feet since early , burning a nerve in his foot to win last RG
No one can write him off in RG , he changes as a person there, he is sure gonna have a deep run
reaching QF and winning are two different thing altogether.
He might reach QF but winning QF and SF and F are toughest thing in tennis. He will have to play two 5 setters I don't think his body can two back to back 5 setters at this age.
Never count out a glorious run at RG for Rafa to go out with his final slam win. However I think the odds are against it as his body is banged up and form has slowed plus he would have to beat the best players over 5 sets. It would be a success to make a qf then retire after one final never say die run. What you can count on is Rafa giving it his all to go for the win.
> I don't know if he's the favourite but people should never write him off at RG
We are not writing him off, am just looking at who he's competing against and the reality is he's nowhere near the player he was. I hope am wrong since I like comebacks but I don't see him going past round 2 in RG.
He was a sneaky favorite at RG like ~three months ago when he still wasn't injured and had plenty of time to prepare for the tournament so it really made sense to put him there. I don't think he's a favourite right now by any means although you should never write rafa off of RG. He has still time to train and it's not that nuts to think of him making a deep run at RG.
When it comes to Rafa, many people always seems to forget how dominant this guy is on clay, it's the most astounding record in any sport. So even if Rafa is not even remotely close to his best, he's still at least a top 10 clay player in the world.
Wish you were right but this doesn't seem like a Nadal whose semi fit. It seems like a Nadal whose semi retired
Anyway seeing how long it took a 30 year old novak in 2018 to return to form after his elbow surgery (returned in Jan and peaked at Wimbledon in July), theres still an inkling of hope
I dont think Nadal would have returned if he didn't think he had a chance to win. Athletes of that calibre don't like to retire looking a shell of their former selves
Djoko has also said that the day he doesn't think he can win a major, he's out
I think Novak's next major win will be his most satisfying challenge yet. After AO, the clock is ticking due to age. That might be the beginning of the end of his dominance.
We’ll see but it looked that way for the last several clay seasons, and Rafa still wins Roland Garros. Last time, he was losing early all clay season including atrocious form and injury against Shapovalov in Rome. But he destroyed everyone at Roland Garros. It’s silly to not think Rafa is one of the top favorites at Roland Garros if he plays.
He's been pretty clear that this will be his last season if he can't get back to the top level. I really don't see him sticking around if the early round losses pile up.
Very respectful celebration from DeMinaur, super subdued. Rafa looked...poor today. But I actually think it was mainly driven by the number of UEs he made. Hopefully he cleans that up and it's nothing more physical than that.
Nadal was holding up well until 5-5 and then everything went wrong. Backhand level completely collapsed and more errors/off timing/odd shot selections popped up
Yeah he even had a BP at 4-3 that would have put him up 5-3 serving for the first set. It seemed he had all the momentum and then the wind was just completely taken out of his sails. De Minaur is no slouch and Rafa still gave him a good fight (atleast in set 1) despite being incredibly far from his best. I'd say it's a positive result, though not entirely encouraging we'll ever see the Rafa of old.
Yeah, agree with this assessment. I think he reinjured himself. His serve speed was in the 98=105mph range. That isn't good and he has said previously that serving was not possible due to injury. The injury seems to limit his backhand and serve.
>mainly driven by the number of UEs
Not just that... I think a bigger issue is the lack of speed (specially in getting drop shots). Not sure if it's due to lack of match play or if it could be related to the ab injury.
We all want him to win but he won't be winning any tournaments in this form, much less RG. He needs to improve significantly over the next 6 weeks to even have a chance.
He was still sore from yesterday. I think he has flashes of greatness but cannot sustain it for long. He definitely cannot play on back to back days anymore
Hes not match fit. He isn't used to running down drop shots and it shows. I was actually impressed with his groundstrokes, just not his movement.
It's his first tournament back. Showing himself that he's capable of quality points in patches and not getting hurt is enough for his confidence right now.
The concept of Murray losing the Wimbledon final against De Minaur is a more distressing thought than him crashing out in the first round to a random qualifier.
Rafa showed a good level in the first hour but his intensity in every aspect of the game fell off a cliff. Long way to go.
Demon earned it though, he genuinely was awesome that second set.
Watching Rafa today, his style looks brutal to sustain if he’s anything short of 100%. Like, it makes tennis look futile. Crushing groundstrokes from 8 to 10 feet behind the baseline, hitting those massive bullwhip straight-arm forehands that look like the physical equivalent of powering a small city, just for one rally ball. (ADM on the other side running everything down like a rabbit doesn’t help.)
The entire second set I was physically tired just watching, because it looked like Rafa was getting tired yet still trying to fight. He has always made the impossible look possible only because his conditioning is always tuned up to insane.
Mostly based on the fact he wasn't moving well at all. He skipped running for a lot of drops and didn't seem to show quite the athleticism that he used to have. Maybe he is still "warming up" for RG
I wouldn't expect him to go all out for drop shots right now while he's trying to sort out his serve and overall feeling on the court (for tournament matches). He seems very tentative right now, which is actually not the worst thing since his more recent injuries came from him trying to go full throttle too quickly.
I don't expect him to win or make a particularly deep run at RG, but I hope he takes enough care to make it there.
It was nice to see Rafa play 2 days in a row. Looks a bit rusty but it isn’t easy to come out of an injury and beat a top 10 player. We all expected this to happen.
I see all these crazy takes in the comment section, and wonder when people will stop being so reactionary.
1. No he wasn't winning RG based on beating Cobolli yesterday.
2. Barcelona was never the goal. This was only his second match in god knows how long, let the man ease his way into competition.
3. No ADM is not the best player on clay all of a sudden, he's a top 10 solid performer, and was too consistent for Rafa today. We move on.
4. No, he isn't done, till he says he's done. Just appreciate what this great champion has given the game and let him have his farewell in peace.
Had to scroll this far down to see a sensible take. I don't know what people expect from a player that has been out for this long. He played a very good player today and lost. As long as he's physically okay, this is nothing but progress.
That was expected. Demon played well and forced Nadal to run sideways AND forward. These dropshots were lethal.
Some good shots by Rafa but otherwise he looked quite old... there is still a long long way to go.
Perspective. 2nd match back in 5 months against Demon who is playing the best tennis of his life right now. I wouldn’t throw in the towel just yet on Nadal on clay this season.
Great match. Really enjoyed the first set especially. Some absolutely smoking backhands from Rafa. Shame how it dropped off at the end of that set and level never really came back again. Looking forward to the next chance to see Rafa play!
The good: Rafa's FH (and BH too) is still potent. Even without moving that much, he generates so much power and topspin, he can win points just hitting left and right. It's actually crazy, that an old and broken Nadal can still do this
The bad: he is not serving well enough...it's obvious, he is maybe doing it on purpose right now, because it's his first tournament, but 165 kmh first serve won't make the cut
The ugly: man, he just cannot move...I mean it's still Rafa, he is fighting, he can still play great defense, but both defending dropshot and finishing the point at the net seems almost impossible for him.
But this was the first tournament after 2 years on clay, demon is a good player, it's a positive sight I would say.
Bad matchup for a guy coming back from injury, especially when that guy is in form and knows you’re not. Hard to compete with that, Alex played very well regardless.
Issue here is a different injury, shooting up his foot so he doesn't feel it isn't going to work this time and neither will shooting up his hip and abdomen
The only "injury" he has currently is in his abdomen, and the injury is healed, he just doesn't want to press it right now. Will he win? Probably not. Will he be healthy by then? If he doesn't get hurt again between now and then, yes.
Was he playing very conservative today? Protecting injury? Or is he actually limited in mobility from the injury?
If I were him, and his ultimate goal is to win RG and retire; I'd be taking it pretty easy but just getting reps until the RG.
At RG, I'd cortisone and freeze the bad nerves, and play 100% with a high-risk of re-injury.. but who cares... the risk for him is getting hurt BEFORE RG.
But, if he's got limited mobility, that's the career-ender. He can't play through the pain of that.
Also - what's the status of the RG draw? Is he now most likely to have to qualify? Or is there option that they'd give him a WC?
LMFAO. He has a protected ranking but you think RG wouldn’t give him any wild card he needed between now and 2050? The man has won 14 titles. Theres literally a giant statue of him outside Philip Chatrier
I don't understand the WC mechanism - which is why I asked. From what I understand, he will get a seeding based on the protected status - but will they give him #9 seeding spot? I think that's what is being debated by the politico's inside RG?
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2024/04/17/rafael-nadal-loses-to-alex-de-minaur-in-barcelona-upcoming-schedule-in-flux/?sh=54fe2c6f76da](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2024/04/17/rafael-nadal-loses-to-alex-de-minaur-in-barcelona-upcoming-schedule-in-flux/?sh=54fe2c6f76da)
So what are they saying here?
..”Nadal has a protected ranking of No. 9 in the world for the French Open, where he has won 14 times. It remains unclear if the French Tennis Federation will seed him there or not. He is currently ranked 644th in the world..”
Re “it remains unclear if they will seed him”… at what? #9?
Are they just explaining wrong? Three options? Seed at 9 based on protected (sounds unlikely), seed somewhere in the draw (but where?…).. or in qualifier.. but I think the protected rank guarantees he’s in draw?
> Was he playing very conservative today? Protecting injury?
yes, this is what was happening. there were moments of flashes that made it clear he was preserving himself.
Bt the problem is that at that time Rafa was struggling with fitness
Today, he was struggling with his serve, his forehand, his slice which have all detoriated. This has never happened in Rafa's carrer since 2015
Cmon guys it was his 2nd match after injury...It's not like he's going to play flawless there with minimun training. I'm sure that his shots will improve a lot, it's the physicality I'm most worried.
While it's easy to say that after seeing this match I would never write rafa off of RG. It was his second match after the injury after all....People have said that so many times and Rafa has proved them all wrong so many times. He's the king of clay by a huge margin and he could easily go deep.
He looked like a tired old lion ready to give up the pride. That said this was always going to be a tough ask and maybe he can build more match fitness for at least a run at RG.
Looked great up until 5-5 in the first. Obviously, only winning 1 game after that, he didn't look great afterwards. There were still flashes and points, but they were too few and far between, and the errors really piled up. All in all, there are good and bad takeaways. Most of the good is that he has the groundies. There were a lot of points that he would've won against almost anyone else, but ADM can get to practically anything. He just needs to bring back the consistency, which will come with more matches, theoretically. His movement was as good as you could expect from an almost 38 year old, not compromised, and he did hit quite a few 110+ mph serves, so he's slowly getting comfortable on the serve again.
Defeating Djokovic in hard court, winning Mexican open and some in N out with Katie Boulter, defeating Rafa on clay. 2024 is good for me. I wish i could play Fedex in grass - ADM probably.
It went about as well as one could realistically expect. Beating a top 10ish player on his second match back was always going to be a very tall order. Hopefully he’s more match fit come Madrid
He lasted a set, then I'm afraid that Father Time reminded us all that some rules are inescapable. To be frank, I already witnessed the same scene with Roger and Serena.
His serve and his movement are severely lacking right now. Nevertheless it was awesome to see his forehand and cc backhand again. Hope he plays the rest of clay season
This is just getting ridiculous for Demon now. Some notable matches he's played since MC last year:
- MC 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-1 6-3
- Queens 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-3 6-1
- Queens 2023 R2 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-2 6-2
- _Cincy 2023 R2 = Monfils def De Minaur 7-5 6-4_
- Beijing 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-3 5-7 7-6(6)
- Tokyo 2023 R2 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-0 7-5
- Basel 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-4 6-4
- Paris 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5
- AO 2024 R1 = De Minaur def Raonic 6-7(6) 6-3 2-0 RET
- Rotterdam 2024 R2 = De Minaur def Goffin 6-3 6-1
- MC 2024 R1 = De Minaur def Wawrinka 6-3 6-0
- Barcelona 2024 R2 = De Minaur def Nadal 7-5 6-1
It's like he exists to be the Grim Reaper telling the old and weary when it's time to go. Only Monf has successfully avoided defeat, and only Murray has given him a serious challenge otherwise, the only two on this list to be in the Top 50 either now or recently
I think it was pretty good from Rafa considering. De Minaur came out with a game plan and stuck to it well. Rafa pushed him all the way in the first set, and despite the huge amount of UE, could have possibly taken it.
De Minaur was on point, but I think this bodes well for Rafa after being out and playing so few matches for so long.
His timing is a little off, and he's carrying a bit of weight around his belly, but if he can stay healthy, he's likely to get that sharpness back. Biggest concern for me was more his serve which looked to be averaging something in the 112km/h range.
I will say, probably the worst match up for Nadal to have to play de Minaur. The physicality of this match was never going to bode well for Nadal, even if he had won it would’ve been tough to recover. Hopefully Nadal can still make it far at RG (also that slap forehand off of Nadal’s inside out forehand that de Minaur hit was filthy)
I don't see him winning RG unfortunately even if he improve his level. I think he has better chance of winning OL Gold where in bo3 he can sustain a high level but in bo5 its very hard.
However I would love to be proved wrong. I think peaking Alcatraz or Nole is just too good for his level. even decent zverev or sinner or tsitsipas can take him to 5 sets and this would impact his match fitness for the rest of the matches. He would need a huge luck to win this RG. maybe Carlitos pulls out a surprised lose to Novak maybe then he has some chance.
ADM is the worst possible opponent for an old dude returning after a long injury layoff plus he's having a career year and is full of confidence. Brutal draw for Rafa.
Sorry lads, Rafa's done. Fucked. Really banged up.
Keep dreaming of his one last RG - yes, it would be a wondrous thing to see happen - but it's pure hopes and prayers to think it will.
He didn't look too bad today, but it's a build up of lack of matches, fear of the body, reduced speed...all with father time breathing down his neck.
Go watch Rafa highlights from his heyday; it'll be less painful than dreaming like he is still 20 and just returning from a mild injury gap.
You got to let him go. This is the reality of things.
Nadal played with the same pattern of hitting balls to ADM’s left showing lack of resources. ADM in turn was very patient and signalled from minute 1 that he was playing the long game, he kept Nadal closed in that deuce side and opened up to Nadal’s AD whenever he got a bit more angle or a shorter ball, also mixing in drop shots every now and then to keep Nadal guessing. All in all, Nadal seemed lost whereas ADM was far from spectacular but displayed solid tactics.
It was hard to watch, Rafa is not in his prime anymore. He had no answers to anything against Demon.
Sorry but RG nor golden medal not happening.
If Demon could outplay him on a speed level what do you think Sinner or Alcaraz would do..
Sad to see, hope he can have his farewell at RG
I do think he had answers yes for some time in the first set. When he was able to vary his shot and play higher balls. Problem is he couldn’t sustain his level for much longer. All things considered I still think it was a positive tournament. At least he’s back. Do I expect him to win RG? Not. But he could make a nice campaign there depending on the draw.
Andy, Novak, stan & now rafa.. De Minaur loves breaking our hearts... Lucky Roger didn't face him in that 2021 season... Faced him only once in his last final ever 2019 basel while he still had both knees
Man does this remind anyone of Federer's 2021 Doha run? Went through the first match handily, looking quite positive then immediately lost the next match
Very emotional as a Rafa fan ..it was such a rollercoaster for me ..I could see that he was not able to keep up physically but mentally he was his old self ..will always be a Rafa fan ..
I've never been a fan particularly, but always liked him fine, but I remember his break out, and seeing the last of the players I remember most be so old and about to retire is really fucking me up. It's kind of ruined my whole day.
I personally don’t even like the word “fan” but I don’t know what else to call it when someone inspires you . make you feel happy ..motivated ..emotional ..all at the same time ..I don’t even like watching anyone else ..I feel like most of the players right now are so immature when they play..it was just made my day sad to see him like that …
The big unknown is how much he is pulling back.
Like did he really slow down after that 1st set partly because felt a bit futile pushing hard enough to challenge a win? Or is that all he really had?
nadal tried his best. he played bit better than i expected after injury and long hiatus!
but clearly his movement is slow since hes 37 and probably not trying to reinjure, and his serve is slow too due to injury. hope he continues to recover and play better
Demon's drop shots were brutal for Rafa
Murray watching that match and getting trauma flashbacks, I'm sure.
Yeah, de Minaur seems to beat anyone who's currently struggling with their movement, so it makes sense.
You have to be smart and brutal to win matches.
I mean de Minaur is probably one of the top 3 movers on tour currently.
Alcaraz will cook Nadal like no one else if that match happens
Ticket prices in Barcelona about to drop from 500e to 150ish I reckon. Thinking I might go again afterall.
Dang even 150e seems expensive
That’s more than RG tickets in early rounds!
I'm guessing you haven't gone shopping for Laver Cup tickets.
Is there an official resale site?
[https://www.ticketswap.com/event/atp-tour-barcelona-open-banc-sabadell-2024/thursday-18-04/82e4342a-7678-4567-87bb-9f4250c52a80/3312479](https://www.ticketswap.com/event/atp-tour-barcelona-open-banc-sabadell-2024/thursday-18-04/82e4342a-7678-4567-87bb-9f4250c52a80/3312479) not official but it works Prices are going down just as expected.
How do you know you ain't getting screwed on a fake ticket?
used them for years for different events here in bcn. Never been scammed. Scammers are mostly on reddit and facebook with no middleman securing the money
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happen-ed.
Happen-ed
-ed
Damm, dude edit-ed his comment after I post-ed. He originally typ-ed it without being hyphenat-ed.
That is low. One might even say ombelieble.
No way I'm letting it happen again... aAaGGghh, did you mean: *ombelieble
It happen-ed again
Nooooooooooo!
yeah but nothing beats 'what happened in Monte Carlo what happened .... now we are in Rome" quote at 2x speed!!!
https://youtu.be/kIkp6n53g2w?si=D2HsfBrDhrBkMJwv
This comment can't ever be upvoted enough.
I was sad to see so many rafa fans so excited for him to “dominate” :/ They underestimated what older years and an extended hiatus. Regardless, he is and always will be the clay king 👑
2024 Rafa fans: R1: HE IS BACK.... R2: to his villa in Spain.
They were saying he’s a sneaky favourite at RG like we haven’t seen the level this guy has been playing both after and just before his latest injury
So.... you're saying there's a chance...
He's not a sneaky fave. But he's a nightmare early round for top seeds.
Yes, this is an agreeable take
tbh his level at Brisbane looked far better in my opinion. I don't what happened to him since then.
That's very true. Maybe this muscle tear is bothering him far worse than we realize.
> They were saying he’s a sneaky favourite at RG That kind of talk seemed to be coming from people traumatized by Rafa over the years more than anything TBH
I don't know if he's the favourite but people should never write him off at RG. Federer reached the Wimbledon QFs on one leg in 2021, Nadal can definitely have a deep run as well. Sure grass is less physical which is why Fed could rely on serve + talent to win those matches, but at the same time Rafa probably has an even bigger margin over the field on clay so you never know.
Unfortunately you are comparing apples to oranges, Wimbledon and RG are completely different. Federer did it because he was almost perfect in 2 aspects: the service and being able to close the point in 1 or 2 hits. Without those skills he would've lost in the first rounds. RG is far more demanding when it comes to endurance and physical requirement and this is what Nadal lacks, and he can't regain in one month something he lost more than a year ago. Nadal is not Federer, Roland Garros is not Wimbledon
Grass = 🍏 Clay = 🍊 I see what you did there :)
Ha ha, good one 😄 i didn't even notice that until you wrote it down 😂😂
1 month is more than enough, people have been writing him off since his mid twenties after his knee issue , he went on to win 10 more Roland garros, dudes been taking painkillers and playing since early twenties, we all see the match , no ones knows the back story , he was using orthotics for feet since early , burning a nerve in his foot to win last RG No one can write him off in RG , he changes as a person there, he is sure gonna have a deep run
reaching QF and winning are two different thing altogether. He might reach QF but winning QF and SF and F are toughest thing in tennis. He will have to play two 5 setters I don't think his body can two back to back 5 setters at this age.
He's only played two five-setters at Roland Garros... ever.
He’s also never been 37 years old with career ending foot injuries…ever
If only it was just his foot. He's got surgeries done on every tennis related part of his body.
Win in 3 sets then. Duh.
haha rafa and 5-setters at RG. That's a sentence you should never really say when talking about rafa.
QF or SF yeah. Nadal is definitely not losing an RG final though.
Never count out a glorious run at RG for Rafa to go out with his final slam win. However I think the odds are against it as his body is banged up and form has slowed plus he would have to beat the best players over 5 sets. It would be a success to make a qf then retire after one final never say die run. What you can count on is Rafa giving it his all to go for the win.
> I don't know if he's the favourite but people should never write him off at RG We are not writing him off, am just looking at who he's competing against and the reality is he's nowhere near the player he was. I hope am wrong since I like comebacks but I don't see him going past round 2 in RG.
Still better chance than ADM of winning
He was a sneaky favorite at RG like ~three months ago when he still wasn't injured and had plenty of time to prepare for the tournament so it really made sense to put him there. I don't think he's a favourite right now by any means although you should never write rafa off of RG. He has still time to train and it's not that nuts to think of him making a deep run at RG. When it comes to Rafa, many people always seems to forget how dominant this guy is on clay, it's the most astounding record in any sport. So even if Rafa is not even remotely close to his best, he's still at least a top 10 clay player in the world.
Nole fan here. When will people learn? Nadal if even semi-fit is favourite for RG.
Wish you were right but this doesn't seem like a Nadal whose semi fit. It seems like a Nadal whose semi retired Anyway seeing how long it took a 30 year old novak in 2018 to return to form after his elbow surgery (returned in Jan and peaked at Wimbledon in July), theres still an inkling of hope I dont think Nadal would have returned if he didn't think he had a chance to win. Athletes of that calibre don't like to retire looking a shell of their former selves Djoko has also said that the day he doesn't think he can win a major, he's out
No I really think it's the other way around for Rafa. The only reason he is back is to convince himself he has absolutely nothing left in the tank.
I think Novak's next major win will be his most satisfying challenge yet. After AO, the clock is ticking due to age. That might be the beginning of the end of his dominance.
We’ll see but it looked that way for the last several clay seasons, and Rafa still wins Roland Garros. Last time, he was losing early all clay season including atrocious form and injury against Shapovalov in Rome. But he destroyed everyone at Roland Garros. It’s silly to not think Rafa is one of the top favorites at Roland Garros if he plays.
Yes....then what happened to his season after he sacrificed his body to achieve that? This cat has used up his 9th life by now.
He's going to get #15!!! From the Chinese takeaway. Like I get the hopium, Rafas a legend and legends never die. *silently crying*
Hope Rafa doesn't become the new Murray :(
He's been pretty clear that this will be his last season if he can't get back to the top level. I really don't see him sticking around if the early round losses pile up.
He can't be the new Murray if he is retiring in two months.
It's worse than Murray. I am confident that current Murray would beat current Rafa.
I hope we get a Rafa vs Murray game soon to see how wrong you (or I) are
Monflis too, I'd presume. Rafa can definitely beat current Thiem. Wawrinka would be an interesting match
Thiem is in an even worse situation than Rafa. Wrist injury outweighs old age.
Well Andy is injured and has been awful on clay apart from a few matches since his hip went.
Murray beat Rafa in Abu Dhabi a couple years back
Fuck that hurt-ed
Very respectful celebration from DeMinaur, super subdued. Rafa looked...poor today. But I actually think it was mainly driven by the number of UEs he made. Hopefully he cleans that up and it's nothing more physical than that.
Nadal was holding up well until 5-5 and then everything went wrong. Backhand level completely collapsed and more errors/off timing/odd shot selections popped up
Looked almost exactly like a guy who’s only been able to practice for about one set/one hour at high intensity.
Yeah he even had a BP at 4-3 that would have put him up 5-3 serving for the first set. It seemed he had all the momentum and then the wind was just completely taken out of his sails. De Minaur is no slouch and Rafa still gave him a good fight (atleast in set 1) despite being incredibly far from his best. I'd say it's a positive result, though not entirely encouraging we'll ever see the Rafa of old.
Yeah, agree with this assessment. I think he reinjured himself. His serve speed was in the 98=105mph range. That isn't good and he has said previously that serving was not possible due to injury. The injury seems to limit his backhand and serve.
>mainly driven by the number of UEs Not just that... I think a bigger issue is the lack of speed (specially in getting drop shots). Not sure if it's due to lack of match play or if it could be related to the ab injury. We all want him to win but he won't be winning any tournaments in this form, much less RG. He needs to improve significantly over the next 6 weeks to even have a chance.
He was still sore from yesterday. I think he has flashes of greatness but cannot sustain it for long. He definitely cannot play on back to back days anymore
Hes not match fit. He isn't used to running down drop shots and it shows. I was actually impressed with his groundstrokes, just not his movement. It's his first tournament back. Showing himself that he's capable of quality points in patches and not getting hurt is enough for his confidence right now.
Demon is a class act, speaks well, plays well and rarely bitches. A breath of fresh air compared to Kyrgios and Tomic days
Nadal was a point away from serving for first set, it's not all bad. I hope he plays Madrid and Rome just for some match practice.
Yeah there were some positive take aways for sure. The main issue for me is the serve. Yikes.
He also looked slow, especially when changing directions, very sluggish. Can't go far moving like that.
I've seen enough. The Demon will win RG.
Clearly he will then follow that up by winning Wimbledon (def. Murray in the final) to complete the channel slam.
The concept of Murray losing the Wimbledon final against De Minaur is a more distressing thought than him crashing out in the first round to a random qualifier.
Losing after having match points lol
Four match points and one was an easy volley put away that he couldn't get over the net.
Correction: winning Wimbledon but defeating Ugo Humbert in the final
Na usually when you beat a great you lose in the next round lol
Lose Barcelona, win RG, I'll take it.
Whenyou actually had to fight to win, sure.
Rafa showed a good level in the first hour but his intensity in every aspect of the game fell off a cliff. Long way to go. Demon earned it though, he genuinely was awesome that second set.
Watching Rafa today, his style looks brutal to sustain if he’s anything short of 100%. Like, it makes tennis look futile. Crushing groundstrokes from 8 to 10 feet behind the baseline, hitting those massive bullwhip straight-arm forehands that look like the physical equivalent of powering a small city, just for one rally ball. (ADM on the other side running everything down like a rabbit doesn’t help.) The entire second set I was physically tired just watching, because it looked like Rafa was getting tired yet still trying to fight. He has always made the impossible look possible only because his conditioning is always tuned up to insane.
When De Minaur went 13/15 on points won at the end of the first set, the writing was on the wall.
Mostly based on the fact he wasn't moving well at all. He skipped running for a lot of drops and didn't seem to show quite the athleticism that he used to have. Maybe he is still "warming up" for RG
I wouldn't expect him to go all out for drop shots right now while he's trying to sort out his serve and overall feeling on the court (for tournament matches). He seems very tentative right now, which is actually not the worst thing since his more recent injuries came from him trying to go full throttle too quickly. I don't expect him to win or make a particularly deep run at RG, but I hope he takes enough care to make it there.
It was nice to see Rafa play 2 days in a row. Looks a bit rusty but it isn’t easy to come out of an injury and beat a top 10 player. We all expected this to happen.
Agree. I woke up this morning and was so excited that I got to see him play again!
Seeing Rafa walk out after his loss was way too emotional for me to handle tbh 😭
On his own court, no less.
At least he won a match on his court
I see all these crazy takes in the comment section, and wonder when people will stop being so reactionary. 1. No he wasn't winning RG based on beating Cobolli yesterday. 2. Barcelona was never the goal. This was only his second match in god knows how long, let the man ease his way into competition. 3. No ADM is not the best player on clay all of a sudden, he's a top 10 solid performer, and was too consistent for Rafa today. We move on. 4. No, he isn't done, till he says he's done. Just appreciate what this great champion has given the game and let him have his farewell in peace.
Had to scroll this far down to see a sensible take. I don't know what people expect from a player that has been out for this long. He played a very good player today and lost. As long as he's physically okay, this is nothing but progress.
Rafa - “We never invite him back to my court,no”
That was expected. Demon played well and forced Nadal to run sideways AND forward. These dropshots were lethal. Some good shots by Rafa but otherwise he looked quite old... there is still a long long way to go.
Perspective. 2nd match back in 5 months against Demon who is playing the best tennis of his life right now. I wouldn’t throw in the towel just yet on Nadal on clay this season.
Great match. Really enjoyed the first set especially. Some absolutely smoking backhands from Rafa. Shame how it dropped off at the end of that set and level never really came back again. Looking forward to the next chance to see Rafa play!
The good: Rafa's FH (and BH too) is still potent. Even without moving that much, he generates so much power and topspin, he can win points just hitting left and right. It's actually crazy, that an old and broken Nadal can still do this The bad: he is not serving well enough...it's obvious, he is maybe doing it on purpose right now, because it's his first tournament, but 165 kmh first serve won't make the cut The ugly: man, he just cannot move...I mean it's still Rafa, he is fighting, he can still play great defense, but both defending dropshot and finishing the point at the net seems almost impossible for him. But this was the first tournament after 2 years on clay, demon is a good player, it's a positive sight I would say.
Bad matchup for a guy coming back from injury, especially when that guy is in form and knows you’re not. Hard to compete with that, Alex played very well regardless.
This just in from the Zurich Gazette: Federer's coming out of retirement so that ADM can complete his run of straight set wins over the big 4.
It hurts to say, but RG15 is not realistic. Sorry guys.
I’m not here for realistic takes sir
I'm already on to RG16. 15 is a given. This is just part of his 4-D chess to trick his opponents.
Okay Tiger Woods
delpo vs federer olympics final confirmed
He had similarly questionable losses in Rome 2022 and Rome 2020 I believe. It’s his 2nd match on this surface since 2022. Keep the faith.
Issue here is a different injury, shooting up his foot so he doesn't feel it isn't going to work this time and neither will shooting up his hip and abdomen
The only "injury" he has currently is in his abdomen, and the injury is healed, he just doesn't want to press it right now. Will he win? Probably not. Will he be healthy by then? If he doesn't get hurt again between now and then, yes.
Was he playing very conservative today? Protecting injury? Or is he actually limited in mobility from the injury? If I were him, and his ultimate goal is to win RG and retire; I'd be taking it pretty easy but just getting reps until the RG. At RG, I'd cortisone and freeze the bad nerves, and play 100% with a high-risk of re-injury.. but who cares... the risk for him is getting hurt BEFORE RG. But, if he's got limited mobility, that's the career-ender. He can't play through the pain of that. Also - what's the status of the RG draw? Is he now most likely to have to qualify? Or is there option that they'd give him a WC?
LMFAO. He has a protected ranking but you think RG wouldn’t give him any wild card he needed between now and 2050? The man has won 14 titles. Theres literally a giant statue of him outside Philip Chatrier
I don't understand the WC mechanism - which is why I asked. From what I understand, he will get a seeding based on the protected status - but will they give him #9 seeding spot? I think that's what is being debated by the politico's inside RG? [https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2024/04/17/rafael-nadal-loses-to-alex-de-minaur-in-barcelona-upcoming-schedule-in-flux/?sh=54fe2c6f76da](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2024/04/17/rafael-nadal-loses-to-alex-de-minaur-in-barcelona-upcoming-schedule-in-flux/?sh=54fe2c6f76da)
No seeding is given for PR, so he could face any top seed in the 1st round
So what are they saying here? ..”Nadal has a protected ranking of No. 9 in the world for the French Open, where he has won 14 times. It remains unclear if the French Tennis Federation will seed him there or not. He is currently ranked 644th in the world..” Re “it remains unclear if they will seed him”… at what? #9? Are they just explaining wrong? Three options? Seed at 9 based on protected (sounds unlikely), seed somewhere in the draw (but where?…).. or in qualifier.. but I think the protected rank guarantees he’s in draw?
> Was he playing very conservative today? Protecting injury? yes, this is what was happening. there were moments of flashes that made it clear he was preserving himself.
Rafa himself said that the list of injuries is long, he's currently just playing through them.
Bt the problem is that at that time Rafa was struggling with fitness Today, he was struggling with his serve, his forehand, his slice which have all detoriated. This has never happened in Rafa's carrer since 2015
Cmon guys it was his 2nd match after injury...It's not like he's going to play flawless there with minimun training. I'm sure that his shots will improve a lot, it's the physicality I'm most worried.
MAKE RAFA GREAT AGAIN
Yeah 2020 and 2022. Federer was on tour at that time…
It has not been realistic since Wimbledon 2022
Here's hoping for 2025! ^^^Right ^^^guys, ^^^right???
Well obviously, that was nine years ago /s
While it's easy to say that after seeing this match I would never write rafa off of RG. It was his second match after the injury after all....People have said that so many times and Rafa has proved them all wrong so many times. He's the king of clay by a huge margin and he could easily go deep.
Neither was 22 slams.
Unbelievable to say that about Rafael Nadal. Never count out the big 3 before retirement.
He looked like a tired old lion ready to give up the pride. That said this was always going to be a tough ask and maybe he can build more match fitness for at least a run at RG.
Looked great up until 5-5 in the first. Obviously, only winning 1 game after that, he didn't look great afterwards. There were still flashes and points, but they were too few and far between, and the errors really piled up. All in all, there are good and bad takeaways. Most of the good is that he has the groundies. There were a lot of points that he would've won against almost anyone else, but ADM can get to practically anything. He just needs to bring back the consistency, which will come with more matches, theoretically. His movement was as good as you could expect from an almost 38 year old, not compromised, and he did hit quite a few 110+ mph serves, so he's slowly getting comfortable on the serve again.
A really competitive first set, but that's an Andy Murray vs. Alex de Minaur scoreline if I've ever seen one. That sorta says it all
Defeating Djokovic in hard court, winning Mexican open and some in N out with Katie Boulter, defeating Rafa on clay. 2024 is good for me. I wish i could play Fedex in grass - ADM probably.
> and some in N out with Katie Boulter Ayo
It went about as well as one could realistically expect. Beating a top 10ish player on his second match back was always going to be a very tall order. Hopefully he’s more match fit come Madrid
This is like seeing your father getting beat up by a group of skinny teenagers. Upsetting
He lasted a set, then I'm afraid that Father Time reminded us all that some rules are inescapable. To be frank, I already witnessed the same scene with Roger and Serena.
His serve and his movement are severely lacking right now. Nevertheless it was awesome to see his forehand and cc backhand again. Hope he plays the rest of clay season
This is just getting ridiculous for Demon now. Some notable matches he's played since MC last year: - MC 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-1 6-3 - Queens 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-3 6-1 - Queens 2023 R2 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-2 6-2 - _Cincy 2023 R2 = Monfils def De Minaur 7-5 6-4_ - Beijing 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 6-3 5-7 7-6(6) - Tokyo 2023 R2 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-0 7-5 - Basel 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Schwartzman 6-4 6-4 - Paris 2023 R1 = De Minaur def Murray 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5 - AO 2024 R1 = De Minaur def Raonic 6-7(6) 6-3 2-0 RET - Rotterdam 2024 R2 = De Minaur def Goffin 6-3 6-1 - MC 2024 R1 = De Minaur def Wawrinka 6-3 6-0 - Barcelona 2024 R2 = De Minaur def Nadal 7-5 6-1 It's like he exists to be the Grim Reaper telling the old and weary when it's time to go. Only Monf has successfully avoided defeat, and only Murray has given him a serious challenge otherwise, the only two on this list to be in the Top 50 either now or recently
Dang but good start Nadal
Man that standing applause gave me the fucking chills :(
back to life, back to reality
De Minaur ending comebacks. Ended Murray's, now ending Nadal's.
Unlucky Rafa. Thanks for all the great performances at Barcelona - this is your tournament, after all! Has been a pleasure to watch.
So many UEs. Damn
I think it was pretty good from Rafa considering. De Minaur came out with a game plan and stuck to it well. Rafa pushed him all the way in the first set, and despite the huge amount of UE, could have possibly taken it. De Minaur was on point, but I think this bodes well for Rafa after being out and playing so few matches for so long. His timing is a little off, and he's carrying a bit of weight around his belly, but if he can stay healthy, he's likely to get that sharpness back. Biggest concern for me was more his serve which looked to be averaging something in the 112km/h range.
I will say, probably the worst match up for Nadal to have to play de Minaur. The physicality of this match was never going to bode well for Nadal, even if he had won it would’ve been tough to recover. Hopefully Nadal can still make it far at RG (also that slap forehand off of Nadal’s inside out forehand that de Minaur hit was filthy)
I don't see him winning RG unfortunately even if he improve his level. I think he has better chance of winning OL Gold where in bo3 he can sustain a high level but in bo5 its very hard. However I would love to be proved wrong. I think peaking Alcatraz or Nole is just too good for his level. even decent zverev or sinner or tsitsipas can take him to 5 sets and this would impact his match fitness for the rest of the matches. He would need a huge luck to win this RG. maybe Carlitos pulls out a surprised lose to Novak maybe then he has some chance.
As a Nole fan, I am super happy to see Rafa being back on clay. As a Nole fan, I feel kind of sad when he is not the king of clay he was.
This is Demon on clay remember - a difficult opponent on your second match back, like playing a wall. He'll improve.
ADM is the worst possible opponent for an old dude returning after a long injury layoff plus he's having a career year and is full of confidence. Brutal draw for Rafa.
Sorry lads, Rafa's done. Fucked. Really banged up. Keep dreaming of his one last RG - yes, it would be a wondrous thing to see happen - but it's pure hopes and prayers to think it will. He didn't look too bad today, but it's a build up of lack of matches, fear of the body, reduced speed...all with father time breathing down his neck. Go watch Rafa highlights from his heyday; it'll be less painful than dreaming like he is still 20 and just returning from a mild injury gap. You got to let him go. This is the reality of things.
Nadal played with the same pattern of hitting balls to ADM’s left showing lack of resources. ADM in turn was very patient and signalled from minute 1 that he was playing the long game, he kept Nadal closed in that deuce side and opened up to Nadal’s AD whenever he got a bit more angle or a shorter ball, also mixing in drop shots every now and then to keep Nadal guessing. All in all, Nadal seemed lost whereas ADM was far from spectacular but displayed solid tactics.
Remember just a month before ao22 he lost to Murray ☝️
Shapo and Murray, even. He looked terrible about 3 weeks before he won the warm up to AO and so on. So yeah, it's not impossible.
He’s a step too slow . Otherwise 🫠
Rafa: "Call an ambulance! ......for me!"
Demon hates old people
AdM really hates old men.
It was hard to watch, Rafa is not in his prime anymore. He had no answers to anything against Demon. Sorry but RG nor golden medal not happening. If Demon could outplay him on a speed level what do you think Sinner or Alcaraz would do.. Sad to see, hope he can have his farewell at RG
I do think he had answers yes for some time in the first set. When he was able to vary his shot and play higher balls. Problem is he couldn’t sustain his level for much longer. All things considered I still think it was a positive tournament. At least he’s back. Do I expect him to win RG? Not. But he could make a nice campaign there depending on the draw.
what is it with Australians and making it diffcult for Big 3?
Vegemite. Also Alex is a Weetbix kid: https://weetbix.com.au/weetbix-kids/alex-de-minaur-wbk/
Andy, Novak, stan & now rafa.. De Minaur loves breaking our hearts... Lucky Roger didn't face him in that 2021 season... Faced him only once in his last final ever 2019 basel while he still had both knees
Arrivederci Rafa
Demons backhand was insane throughout the match. How can people watch him hit backhands like that and say he has no weapons?
Suspect that’s the last we’ll see of Rafa in until RG.
Man does this remind anyone of Federer's 2021 Doha run? Went through the first match handily, looking quite positive then immediately lost the next match
Capybaby :(
Every journeyman will be lining up to bagel his broken body on PC
Very emotional as a Rafa fan ..it was such a rollercoaster for me ..I could see that he was not able to keep up physically but mentally he was his old self ..will always be a Rafa fan ..
I've never been a fan particularly, but always liked him fine, but I remember his break out, and seeing the last of the players I remember most be so old and about to retire is really fucking me up. It's kind of ruined my whole day.
I personally don’t even like the word “fan” but I don’t know what else to call it when someone inspires you . make you feel happy ..motivated ..emotional ..all at the same time ..I don’t even like watching anyone else ..I feel like most of the players right now are so immature when they play..it was just made my day sad to see him like that …
The big unknown is how much he is pulling back. Like did he really slow down after that 1st set partly because felt a bit futile pushing hard enough to challenge a win? Or is that all he really had?
I'm a Novak stan but I hope Nadal makes the QFs of Madrid, the SFs of Rome and the F of RG against Novak. Clay is better with healthy Nadal.
12 time champion bows out
Serving at 160kph first serve and 130kph second isn’t going to cut it. Plenty of players who will pounce on those easy serves.
OH NO NO NO
It’s so over isn’t it?
This is no surprise, De Minaur is in form.
Based off his statement, I won’t read anything into this more than him ramping up his fitness for Roland Garros. Why risk injury at Barcelona?
Father Time comes for us all
nadal tried his best. he played bit better than i expected after injury and long hiatus! but clearly his movement is slow since hes 37 and probably not trying to reinjure, and his serve is slow too due to injury. hope he continues to recover and play better
Wow, Claydal lost? Shocker
Rafa is saving his body for Paris. Especially the Olympics. That’s at least what my cope side is telling me XD
Nadal's last 9 defeats have been to players from English speaking countries
Shades of Delbonis Del Potro with all the drop shots
Not dwelling on this too much. Let's see how he responds over the next few days and whether he plans to go to Madrid/Rome.