Rafael Nadal‘s return to the tennis courts is always a highly anticipated event, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. One of the most crucial tests for Rafa at the moment is getting past his Argentine opponent in the quarterfinals of the Bastad Open. Mariano Navone, a rising star, has been turning heads with his exceptional skills and wild records on the tennis courts. But how much do we really know about Navone?

Born on February 27, 2001, Navone is of Italian descent. He was born at Nueve de Julio, Buenos Aires, to Luis Navone and Analía Vizzón and picked up racquets when he was just three. The 23-year-old’s practice began at Escuela de Tenis del Club Atletico Nueve de Julio and since then, he promised himself to make a significant place for himself on the tennis courts.

Navone, also known by his nickname La Navoneta, is inspired by the Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic and former Argentine pro-David Nalbandian. Nalbandian has been “very special” to him and he likes to emulate on the tennis courts as well. The Argentine star, who made his ATP Tour debut at 2024 Cordoba as a Wild Card, is of the opinion that his playing style is similar to that of Alex de Minaur and his compatriot Diego Schwartzman. He has achieved some major success on the tour. 

The Argentine sensation won five ATP Challenger singles titles, all during the 2023 season. He credits these events as a major reason behind the success that he has achieved. “Challengers have changed my life,” he said. “I made my first final in 2022 in Corrientes. In that moment, I was around 520 in the rankings. The level of Challengers has given me everything. The matches have a lot of intensity. The competition, the players are so special. They’ve developed my game and mentality.” And his quick rise in the ranking table is indeed a testament to his dedication.

Navone broke into the top 200 in June 2023. He quickly entered the top 100 in February 2024 and the top 50 in April 2024. He went on to enter the 2024 French Open seeded 31st, making history as the first player in the Open Era to make their main draw Grand Slam debut as a seeded player. He achieved his career-high ranking of 29 in June this year. When away from the courts, he likes playing and watching basketball and football, thanks to his country’s long association with the sport. Meanwhile, Navone’s performance has also been appreciated by the ‘King of Clay’ himself.

When Rafael Nadal was all praises for Mariano Navone

Rafael Nadal is known for his prowess, especially on the clay courts. And getting words of praise from him is no less than winning a title for many players. Soon after qualifying for the quarterfinals, Rafa was seen singing praises for the young Argentine. 

Speaking at the post-match interview at the Bastad Open, Nadal said, “He’s a player that is playing so well this year, winning a lot of matches, especially on clay.” Continuing further, he expressed the difficulty that could come ahead of him against the Argentine. “It is the quarter-finals of an historic event on the Tour like Bastad. You can’t expect an easy opponent. I am just focused on keeping improving every single day, trying to play every day. I know it is going to be a tough one, but I really hope to play good tennis and give myself chances.”

With Rafa one set down already in the ongoing match, it will be interesting to see if Mariano Navone can win a big achievement against one of the best players of the sports, as the match progresses.