Rafael Nadal’s tennis career abruptly ended on Wednesday at the Barcelona Open after he fell to Alex de Minaur in straight sets.
In less than two hours, Australian De Minaur defeated 12-time winner Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-1. This was Nadal’s second tournament in fifteen months after a string of injuries.
The 37-year-old Spaniard’s eagerly awaited comeback came to an end with the defeat, as the spectators watched him defeat Italian Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Tuesday in the tournament’s opening round.
On the “Pista Rafa Nadal,” a court named in his honor, the Spaniard defeated Cobolli in what was his first official clay court match in 681 days.
Nadal broke the 21-year-old Cobolli early on, winning the opening set in forty-three minutes with a 4-1 advantage. In the next hour and twenty-five minutes, the Spaniard won the match.
He could not muster the same enthusiasm for his second match against De Minaur, who will now move on to the third round where they will face either Daniel Altmaier or Arthur Fils.
Nadal made his 17th appearance in the Trofeo Conde de Godó, signaling his clear comeback to the game after a sporadic comeback due to multiple ailments.
The 22-time grand slam singles champion suffered a “micro tear on a muscle” during a Brisbane International quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson in January. This match was supposed to be the beginning of his eagerly anticipated injury return following nearly a year off the court.
