‘Losing Would Be an Embarrassment’ – When Carlos Moya Was Incredibly Nervous to Face 16-Year-Old Rafael Nadal

Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal have an interesting story with each other. The latter emerged on the tennis scene when Moya was at the peak of his tennis career. They often practiced with each other during the tournaments.

Further, in December 2016, Moya joined Nadal’s coaching team and played a pivotal role in his career, helping Nadal win several Grand Slam titles. Moya once recalled his first match against his compatriot in the latter’s autobiography.

Carlos Moya talks about his first match against Rafael Nadal

Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, was due to face Nadal in the round of 32 in the 2003 ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Hamburg, Germany. Describing this moment, Moya, in Nadal’s autobiography, Rafa: My Story, said, “The first time we’d played a competitive match against one another, he was sixteen and I was twenty-six. It was in Hamburg, a big ATP Masters tournament, early in 2003.”

Further, he added, “In the many practice games we’d had over the previous couple of years I almost always won. I’d say, in fact, that if I really wanted to win, I always did.”

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Talking about the emotions of facing a 16-year-old Nadal, Moya said, “Not surprisingly. But on this occasion I was nervous. I felt incredibly pressured. I was in the top ten, he was a kid, an emerging star, sure, but ranked 300 or so. Losing would be an embarrassment, and I felt that pressure keenly.”

Nadal went on to win that match

Nadal, who was just 16 years old back then, caused a massive upset as he knocked out the second seed Carlos Moya in the round-of-32 in Hamburg. In a match lasting just less than an hour and a half, Nadal got the better of his compatriot in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

However, Nadal’s campaign ended in the third round as he lost against Gaston Norberto Gaudio of Argentina in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Nadal and Moya have faced off against each other eight times on the ATP Tour. The former maintains a superior head-to-head record against Moya, prevailing in six of these matches.

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