‘It’s Water Everywhere’- Rafael Nadal Narrates Odd Incident with His Shoes After Acapulco Win

The ‘King of Clay’ is back to his best. After his Australian Open 2022 success, Rafael Nadal is continuing his fine form in Acapulco. Further, the Spanish ace is yet to lose a contest this season, dominantly dispatching his opponents. The 21-time Grand Slam champion is into the semifinals of the ATP 500 Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco, Mexico, where he will face soon-to-be World Number 1, Daniil Medvedev.

In his quarterfinal battle, Nadal dispatched Tommy Paul of the USA in straight sets. After the match, Nadal revealed a strange incident regarding his shoes.

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Rafael Nadal forgets his spare shoes in the hotel

In the post-match interview, the presenter asked the former World Number 1 to analyze his performance in the last-eight clash. While answering this question, Nadal revealed what was troubling him in a closely fought second set.

He said, “Still got my shoes super slippery. Was my fault that I was not able to have another shoe here. I had another shoe in the hotel. So, my mistake, that’s why I was suffering a lot. You see my shoes, it’s water everywhere.”

Nadal made a resounding start to the match, breaking Paul’s serve in his very first service game of the first set. He continued the momentum and gave his opponent hardly any breathing space. The Spaniard broke the American’s serve thrice in the opening set. Eventually, he took the opening set 6-0. After the match, he admitted he was at his best in the first set and hadn’t played at such a level for a very long time.

Further, Paul came back strongly in the second set and broke Nadal’s serve in the first game of the second set. The Spaniard was visibly troubled by his slippery shoes and didn’t have any alternative but to continue playing with his wet shoes. The two players exchanged breaks as the set proceeded into the tie-breaker. Nadal prevailed in the tie-breaker, winning the match 6-0, 7-6 (5) in just over two hours.

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Can the Spanish ace follow up his Australian Open victory by winning the title in Acapulco? Let us know your views in the comments below.