World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is currently in Australia, competing for the season’s first Grand Slam title. When Rafa initially began his journey at the Australian Open, he faced some discomfort in his back. The problem seemed to bother him, due to which he had to change his service action.  

However, as Rafa progressed into the tournament, he has felt better. Nadal won his fourth-round match against Fabio Fognini today. He won the match in straight sets of 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in a match that lasted a little over 2 hours. 

Rafael Nadal: “My Perspective and Excitement Is Different Compared to 5 Days Ago”

After his win today, Nadal gave an update regarding his back issues and stated, “I’m excited about playing that quarterfinals match.

“If we compare how I was five days ago and how I am today’s situation, it’s different, and my perspective and excitement is completely different, too.”

Rafa will now face a stern challenge against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open 2021. They’ve played against each other 7 times, with the Spaniard winning 6 times as compared to the Greek player’s one win. Nadal won their previous 3 meetings with the last 2 played on indoor hard courts.

Over the course of the tournament, Nadal beat Serbia’s Laslo Djere in the first-round, followed by American qualifier Michael Mmoh in the second-round. In the third round, Rafa beat British player Cameron Norrie. Today, he registered a win against a tricky Fabio Fognini with relevant ease.

Ahead of the Australian Open, the 20-time Grand Slam winner was representing Spain at the ATP Cup 2021, played in Melbourne this year. However, Nadal didn’t feature in any of those matches as he faced troubles with his back. 

ALSO READ- ‘Doesn’t Look Like a Muscle Tear’: Patrick Mouratoglou Debunks Claims that Novak Djokovic Has an Abdominal Injury