Rafael Nadal has not yet tasted the taste of victory in this new season. The Spanish tennis player also lost his second game in the United Cup: after Cameron Norrie’s defeat against the United Kingdom, came the defeat against Alex De Miñaur’s Australia.
The world number two surrendered in the third set against the Australian number two: the final result was 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 for the local player, taking into account that they play in Sydney. With this match, Nadal started the season with two losses in two games played: the first time this has happened in his career.
For the Spanish tennis player, an uphill start in this new year, which follows the trend of last year: since Wimbledon, in fact, of the eleven matches played so far, the twenty-two-time Slam champion has only won four, three of them at the US Open.
After the loss against Cameron Norrie, the Spanish tennis player began the season with a loss for the third time in his career. The first time was in 2004, when he lost in the Chennai tournament against Frenchman Thierry Ascione.
After that match, however, the Spanish tennis player beat Sjeng Schalken in the first round in Auckland. Another difficult start was in 2015. In the Doha tournament, then preparatory to the Australian Open, the former world number one was defeated in the first round by Michael Berrer, a German tennis player who had passed the previous phase of that tournament.
Again, Nadal bounced back soon after: a first-round victory at the Australian Open against Mikhail Youzhny. 2022, therefore, is the first year in which Rafael Nadal has achieved a double consecutive defeat. As in 2015, to break the negative trend he will have to start again with a victory at the Australian Open: the first event of the Slam will be the next tournament of the Spaniard, who will have to defend the title he won last year.
Nadal needed more matches under his belt
Rafael Nadal’s personal doctor Cotorro believes that the World No. 2 is doing well and is gradually improving with every match. “He’s fine, in the progression phase because that’s what he needs when he has finished the year without rhythm.
He has had good games and is doing well,” Angel Ruiz Cotorro said. “Let’s hope that like all the Spaniards, Carlos, Pablo and Roberto, are ready to compete in Australia and let’s hope that everything goes well,” Cotorro said.
