Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal's victory at the 2022 Australian Open was underpinned by his willingness to make well-timed net approaches, an Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers ...

Net Points That theory gains legs when you see that Nadal only won 54 per cent (19/35) of points when the point started for him with a first serve return. Nadal came to the net 167 times in seven matches at Melbourne Park last year, with an eye-opening 50 per cent of them (84) occurring when Nadal started the point with a first serve.

Rafael Nadal is known for his idiosyncrasies and rituals before and during tennis matches so when a ballboy accidentally removed his playing racket from ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) [Tennis News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/tennis-news/) I’m here to just give myself a chance. “It’s a big challenge for me at the beginning to start the tournament. The racket didn’t make an appearance in time for the next game as Nadal had to use a different one and he went on to win the opening set 7-5. Channel Nine commentator John Fitzgerald joked “goodness me, that’s a big mistake and he knows.

22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal turns 37 in June and he is the first to admit that he does not know how many years he has left at the top of tennis, but that ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) And he doesn’t want to be, you know, 10 in the world or 20. Next year? [Tennis News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/tennis-news/) Will it be this year? Because I don’t know almost anyone that does’. I used to look at, well, he’s like Jimmy Connors. It would be tough to write Rafa off at any point, given that he did so well last year. So I continue to be amazed by him,” he told Eurosport. I didn’t expect him to do that last year. “I have a very good relationship with Zverev, but not enough to confess something like that to him. “Unfortunately, I think Rafa will retire at Roland Garros.

Nadal with a total of 22 grand slam titles to his name is currently the leader while Djokovic is at the second position with 21 titles.

Defending Champions Nadal has been seeded No.1 in men's singles of the Australian Open 2023 and he will take on Britain's Jack Draper on Monday. Both players are nearing the twilight of their careers with their ages running out. The two are looking to add on to the tally of their grand slam titles to become the highest ever winner in history. In fact, World No.13 Alexander Zverev even made a prediction about the same and had said that the Spaniard would announce his retirement after French Open 2023. As the Australian Open gets underway, speculations were made that 36-year-old Nadal might hang his racquet this year. [Rafael Nadal](https://www.hindustantimes.com/topic/rafael-nadal) and Serbia's [Novak Djokovic ](https://www.hindustantimes.com/topic/novak-djokovic)remain.

Nadal, the 22-time grand slam champion, bristled at a retirement question earlier when it was posed after he had lost a match at the United Cup. WATCH THE VIDEO ...

And he doesn’t want to be, you know, 10 in the world or 20. “Every time that I am coming to a press conference seems like I have to retire. Because I don’t know almost anyone that does’. I used to look at, well, he’s like Jimmy Connors. “Unfortunately, I think Rafa will retire at Roland Garros. I mean, that, for the moment, is not the case.

Tennis legend John McEnroe has made his prediction as to when 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will hang up his racquet ahead of this week's ...

Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. “I don’t want it to happen, but I think he will have a great tournament, potentially win it and say goodbye”, said Zverev in a 2023 predictions video for Eurosport.

Famously superstitious tennis champion Rafa Nadal has halted play in his opening match of the Australian Open after a ball boy made off with his tennis ...

I think I am humble enough to accept that situation and just work with what I have today. I need to build again this confidence with myself with victories. 'I need to build again all this momentum. 'Goodness me, that's a big mistake and he knows. Fellow commentator John Fitzgerald saw the serious side of it, though. As his search got more and more frantic Nadal realised that the ball boy had taken his racquet during the break between sets

Rafael Nadal delayed his Australian Open first-round match against Jack Draper after his favourite racket went missing court-side.

"He plays with a vibration dampener, and that has been taken with the current racquet he was playing with. As the defending champion searched for his favourite racket on his bench, he realised the ball kid had taken the wrong one to the stringer to get repaired. The number one seed looked confused as he explained to the umpire that he thought a ball kid had taken the wrong racket to the stringer during the opening set.

Consecutive losses at the United Cup see Rafael Nadal kick off his Australian Open title defence without a match win in 2023, and he is facing dangerous ...

By Paul Johnson There are also plenty of Australians in action, with Olivia Gadecki an early winner.

A lost racquet, a second set capitulation and a cramping opponent, but still Rafael Nadal came out on top in a dramatic match.

You kind of just move on to the next one.” 1 Iga Swiatek – who was scheduled to play later on Monday – in the fourth round. The No. 3-seeded Pegula overwhelmed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-0, 6-1 in just 59 minutes, No. Americans Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, the 2022 runner-up at Melbourne Park, all reached the second round in the women’s bracket with victories Monday. No doubt about that,” said Nadal, who came back from a two-set deficit against Daniil Medvedev in the final to win the trophy. Draper, ranked a career-best No. Nadal, who is seeded No. Nadal was not in peak form. “But unfortunately, that (is in the past), so we need to keep working.” * After nearly two hours of so-so play, Nadal found himself even at a set apiece.

Top-seeded Nadal recovered from a second-set wobble to defeat the 38th-ranked Briton 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal was far from his best as he produced an error-laden performance during his opening-round victory over Jack Draper at the ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) Draper’s former coach Justin Sherring told the Daily Telegraph: “We used to base a lot of our game development around Rafa.

Rafael Nadal had to dig deep on Monday at the Australian Open to claw through his first-round match against Jack Draper. But for the defending champion it ...

I am happy that I was able to win against a great player this afternoon.” “When you break the abdominal, you start to protect yourself, putting the ball more to the left, trying to not do the movement, the full movement, with the abdominal.” But I think he is in the right position to have a very productive season. I am in a moment that I am more up and down. “I think it's only cramping that happened at the end to him. “To win against Jack, as I said before the tournament started, has been one of the toughest first rounds possible being seeded. “I needed a victory, so that's the main thing. A great future in front, I think. “But to win against Jack, I need to do things well. I think I did things well. The most important thing today is a victory against a tough opponent,” Nadal said. A win was a win.

Midway through the first set against Britain's Jack Draper, the 22-time grand slam winner stood with his arms spread as explained to the umpire that he was ...

“The combination of lights.” “Unfortunately that passed, so we need to keep working. I need the dampener and everything,” added the Spaniard, referring to the small rubber device which tennis players place between the strings to lessen the impact when they hit shots. “I need the racquet back! “Normally, I have the number of the rackets under control so I said I need the stringer, but I need the stringer for the other racket,” Nadal explained, per Eurosport. After the match, Nadal described the racket snafu as a “funny situation.”

Defending champion Rafael Nadal drops a set but prevails in a battle of fitness against British hope Jack Draper to reach the second round of the Australian ...

"To go toe-to-toe with him on a big court like that is special. Draper, who recently hired a fitness coach in Croatian Dejan Vojnovic, said: "I felt at the beginning of the third that my tennis was right there. The second set, I sort of calmed down and started playing really well. Speaking on court afterwards, Nadal said: "If we put in perspective all the situations I went through the last six months, it has been a very positive start. I played against one of the toughest opponents possible in the first round. "After last year, I was really excited about doing a good pre-season.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal shrugged off a rocky build-up to reach the Australian Open second round with a four-set win over ailing Jack Draper.

On day one of the Australian Open 2023, Rafael Nadal won his opening match against Britain's Jack Draper at Rod Laver Arena. The Spaniard has now advanced ...

He went on to say it was “no problem at all” as the ball boy picked the racquet that he was “ready to play with”. He further exclaims, “I need the racquet back…I need the dampener and everything”. During the game, Nadal can be heard explaining to the umpire that the racquet left on the bench was for the stringer and “not that one”.