Stefanos Tsitsipas’s “dumb” remark regarding the Barcelona Open is disregarded by Rafael Nadal.
Shahid Jacobs April 17, 2024, 7:47 A.M.
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal during a match
The Barcelona Open favorite, Stefanos Tsitsipas, has been disproved by Rafael Nadal, who claims that his performance is more about the “experience, a test,” than winning.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal played his first match on the red dirt in almost 700 days on Tuesday, marking his eagerly anticipated return to the surface after battling injuries for the previous 15 months, which kept him out of the 2023 clay-court season.
He successfully made a comeback, brushing off world No. 62. 6-2, 6-3, Fabio Cobolli.
In the Spanish city, Rafael Nadal, the 12-time winner of the Barcelona Open, improved his record to 67-4. In his 16 matches, he has only missed the semifinals or deeper three times.
Tsitsipas, who won the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, is among those who think that Rafael Nadal is always the favorite to win any title on clay despite his lack of playing time over the past year. Before Nadal’s return, he said: “I would say that Rafa, regardless of whether he hasn’t played at all or if that’s his first tournament, we all know what Rafa is capable of and how quickly he can adjust to one of his favorite surfaces, which is a clay court.
Given that Rafa has consistently made it to the Barcelona finals over the course of several years, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him there.
His aggressive nature and intense tennis style come into play when he gains momentum, which can make him appear invincible from an outside angle.
“You feel his ball on the court, which makes things feel different. You only feel something when you’re watching, but when I have to face him, all six of my senses are up and functioning. He’s, in my opinion, the greatest challenge on clay.
Although he admits that it is simple to conclude as much given his past performance in the tournament, Rafael Nadal fired back at claims that he is the favorite.
“Really speaking, I think it’s dumb right now. He is aware that’s untrue, but I can appreciate that he is saying it out of respect for what I’ve accomplished at this competition, the 22-time Grand Slam champion remarked.
“Everyone is aware as of right now that I’m not the favorite to try to win a tournament. Though I suppose that matters because of the past, I’m not the favorite right now. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know whether I was in this first match and that I won’t be the favorite tomorrow. For me, it’s a test and an experience.
