‘Rafael Nadal Doesn’t Fare Well in Extreme Heat and Humidity’: Coach Carlos Moya Makes Honest Admission

Rafael Nadal is in the semi-finals of the Australian Open 2022. He beat 14th seed Denis Shapovalov in 5 sets to book a spot in the final 4. However, it wasn’t as easy as it looked like for the Spaniard. Nadal took a number of breaks in between the match, complaining of acute stomach ache. During the on-court interview, he confessed to taking tablets to help him subside the pain. 

Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya, opened up about what happened during the match. In a podcast with sports commentator Juanma Castaño, Carlos opened up about the reason behind Nadal’s condition during the match. 

Former World No. 1, Moya, explained the player box observations of Nadal’s game. He went on to explain the downfall in Nadal’s game after the second set. 

Downfall in Nadal’s game after the second set

Carlos Moya was talking about his morning routine when Castaño asked him how afraid he was during the match. He also asked Carlos if he had any questions and fears sitting in the player box. 

Read more: ‘I Heard Stefanos Takes a Very Long Time’: Rafael Nadal Responds to Denis Shapovalov’s Comments at Australian Open 2022

Answering the question, Carlos started explaining what happened in the player box. He said, “If you saw the match, from the end of the second set Rafa’s level dropped. Physically speaking, we didn’t know what was wrong if the foot or something else.”

Explaining further, Carlos assessed that the reason for the downfall was a heatstroke. “We realized it was a heat stroke, he doesn’t fare well in extreme heat and humidity.” 

Appreciating Shapovalov’s high-level game, Moya said that only a miracle could save Rafa that time. However, he ended the question by praising Nadal’s mental strength to hold his serve in the last set. 

Rafael Nadal cruises into the semi-finals of the Australian Open 2022

World No. 5, Rafael Nadal, is once again in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. However, he had to push his limits to reach this position. The Spaniard played his quarter-final match against Canadian prodigy Denis Shapovalov. 

The 6th seed headed into the match with a strong start. He won the first two sets on a decent note. However, the Spaniard struggled with an acute stomach ache, losing the third and the fourth set. After taking a timeout after the fourth set, Nadal held his nerve, taking the fifth set and going on to win the match 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.

Watch this story- He Was Wrong: War of Words Between Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov at AO2022

The Spaniard hit 41 winners and saved 6 breakpoints to win the 4-hour 8-minute long match. He will now play 7th seed Matteo Berrettini to book a spot in the finals of the Australian Open 2022.