Rafael Nadal Triumphs in the Barcelona Open Despite An Injury

At the Barcelona Open on Tuesday, Rafael Nadal triumphantly returned from injury and easily defeated Flavio Cobolli.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner defeated the Italians 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and twenty-five minutes to go to the second round. The Italian has not participated in an ATP Tour match since January.

For the first time since winning the French Open in 2022, Rafael Nadal, 37, was allowed to play on clay, and he put on a strong performance that with glimmers of his customary skill.

It was a solid start, but as Nadal said to TVE, “you can’t get rid of the doubts in one day, above all, on a physical level.”

It was a solid opening round, within the bounds of possibility. He made errors, and I believe I completed the task at hand.

Having won a record 14 times at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal hopes to compete there in May in what he believes to be his last year as a professional.

The clay court champion, who easily defeated Cobolli, will take against Alex de Minaur on Wednesday after missing the most of 2023 due to injury.

When Nadal faced the eleventh-ranked De Minaur, he commented, “I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with it, but I’ll try.”

Nadal recovered his rhythm after Cobolli committed a double fault and fell down 30-0. Cobolli was scared by the ardent support for the Spaniard on the court that bears his name.

In the fourth game, Nadal converted his third break point to take a 3-1 lead, and Cobolli held at 4-2 after surviving four more.

The 12-time Barcelona Open champion broke once again and won the set in forty-three minutes, raising his fist in triumph.

With two more careless blunders, Cobolli gave Nadal a 2-0 lead in the second set. However, in the third game, Cobolli eventually applied enough pressure on Nadal’s serve to force a break.

But Nadal prevailed when Cobolli committed his third double fault, breaking again for a 3-1 lead.

The Spaniard’s serve was good but not spectacular, as he produced no aces.

“I’m not going to go crazy with the serve, even though I’m really excited to play here and give it my all,” Nadal said. “I’ve gone months without being able to serve.”

“I have to serve with prudence, as the circumstances of the time demand. I have periods when I feel more free and times when I feel more cautious.