Rafael Nadal says he feels at home in Mexico giving credit to the Mexican public for always being on his side. On Thursday, Nadal defeated Casper Ruud 7-6 6-4 at the Plaza de Toros de México. With that victory, Nadal concluded his tour of Latin America.
In recent days, Nadal has played tennis throughout Latin America making stops in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. “When I’m in Mexico I don’t feel like a stranger, I don’t feel like a foreigner, in the end when you’re in a country where we speak the same language and there are more things that unite us, when I arrive here I feel at home.
The reception of the people that I feel is spectacular. It is a country where people know how to have fun, a happy country. And well, in all the places that I have been in the country in Cozumel, Tulum, Playa Mujeres, and Acapulco, I have always been happy, I have always taken good memories of the places, but also of the people, of the food, of everything, and that always encourages me to come back,” said Nadal.
Nadal, 36, is no stranger to Mexico, having played in Acapulco several times. In 2005, Nadal made his Acapulco debut in impressive fashion by defeating Albert Montanes in the final. Eight years later, Nadal returned to Acapulco and won the title again after beating David Ferrer in the final.
Nadal did not win Acapulco in 2017 and 2019, but he did win the tournament titles in 2020 and 2022. Whenever Nadal plays in Mexico, he is the favorite at home and the Mexican public shows full support for him. That was also the case on Thursday, when Nadal faced Ruud.
Meanwhile, Nadal is now returning home, where he will presumably get some rest before starting his preparations for the 2023 season.
Nadal wants to continue to shine
From Mexico where he ended his tour of friendly matches on the American continent with a victory over Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal gave his opinion on the famous debate of the GOAT, in which he is often opposed to his great rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“For me, personally, it’s something that doesn’t keep me awake because I think the three of us have surpassed anything we could have ever imagined achieving. With our results, we have taken the sport to a higher level and the debate over the identity of the champion is more a question of the media,” said the man with 22 Grand Slam titles in remarks reported by Eurosport Spain.
