via Imago
Mar 16, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Rafael Nadal (ESP) reacts after winning a point as he defeats Reilly Opelka (USA) in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
via Imago
Mar 16, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Rafael Nadal (ESP) reacts after winning a point as he defeats Reilly Opelka (USA) in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Time and again, Rafael Nadal is proving why he is the best in the business. In his third-round match at the Madrid Open, the Spaniard defeated David Goffin in a three-setter thriller to enter the quarterfinals of the tournament. However, the 21-time Grand Slam champion had to dig deep for his victory. Nadal saved four match points to hold his nerves and prevail over the Belgian.
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The 35-year-old is making a comeback at the Madrid Masters tournament after a brief injury absence. During the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Nadal suffered a rib injury which kept him out of action for six weeks. However, Nadal is back to winning ways in his home tournament. After the match, he revealed the inspiration behind his eye-catching victory.
Rafael Nadal inspired by Real Madrid
During the post-match interview, the Spaniard opened up about how Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final victory over Manchester City inspired him.
Talking about this, he said, “Well, yeah thanks for that. Yesterday, had been an unforgettable night. The spirit that the Real Madrid team have is just incredible and for me today, in some way, has been an inspiration by the way I have been fighting all my tennis career.”
via Getty
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Rafael Nadal of Team Europe and teammate Roger Federer celebrate during the singles match between Stefanos Tsitsipas of Team Europe and Taylor Fritz of Team World during Day One of the Laver Cup 2019 at Palexpo on September 20, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Laver Cup will see six players from the rest of the World competing against their counterparts from Europe. Team World is captained by John McEnroe and Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg. The tournament runs from September 20-22. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
Further, he added, “Honestly, it has been a very tough match. David played at such a high level but at the same time, I am not completely happy because I think I had to finish the match in straight sets without a doubt.”
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rafa post-match 🎤 “the spirit that the real madrid team have is just incredible and for me today, in some way has been an inspiration” ✨
📽: prime video pic.twitter.com/CnQLhzQzPR
— natalie (@_naterzzzz) May 5, 2022
Nadal happens to be a big fan of Real Madrid. Earlier, he was in attendance at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to witness the football club’s La Liga title victory. Additionally, he also watched the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.
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WATCH THIS STORY: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis
Rafa will take on compatriot Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the Madrid Open semifinals. Their match will be held later today.
