“Not a disaster,” Rafael Nadal calls for calm after shock defeat to Cameron Norrie at United Cup
22-time Grand Slam champion lost in straight sets to Great Britain's Cameron Norrie but is relaxed despite the defeat.
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Rafael Nadal
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal was surprisingly calm after a shock defeat to Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie. After winning the first set 6-3, Nadal lost the following two. For those uninitiated, the World No. 2 was competing for Spain in the inaugural United Cup in Sydney. The loss meant Great Britain went 1-0 up in the Group D clash.
Nadal was not too disappointed, post-match. He admitted he needs to be more solid and make fewer mistakes while making better decisions. However, he credits Norrie for putting up a great performance. As per the tennis professional himself, he has time to improve for the Australian Open, which is still two weeks away.
The win was the first that Cameron Norrie has secured over Nadal. He had lost all their previous four encounters. The World Number 14 expressed delighted with the victory and called it the biggest of his career. He said, “It’s crazy, I hadn’t won a set against him so that was the goal going onto the court.”
“I know it’s his first match of the year, but it was a sick win. He absolutely chopped me the last five or four times I played him. Nice to get him once now. I really played well and held my nerve throughout the match.”
Nadal will now continue his preparation ahead of the Australian Open. The 22-time Grand Slam winner will be keen to defend his Australian Open crown. He will focus on his fitness, having been ravaged by injury in the second half of 2022. He was able to participate in just four tournaments after 2022 Wimbledon.
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Rafael Nadal’s professional tennis journey in 2022
Nadal had a rollercoaster campaign in 2022.. He started the season strongly by clincing the 2022 Australian Open after rival Novak Djokovic was deported. . Nadal followed it up with a win at the French Open, taking his tally to a whopping 14 in French Open.
Returning to Wimbledon after three years, there was palpable excitement among fans to see the Spaniard on grass again. As expected, he delivered, winning his quarterfinal tie against Taylor Fritz, much to the delight of his fans. Despite the victory, Nadal withdrew from the tournament after sustaining and abdominal muscle tear.
The injury had a big effect on his year. He was able to play in just six tournaments after recovering. The non-participation led to him finishing the year at 2nd rank in the ATP rankings. Nadal will be keen to regain both the No,1 rank and the Australian Open in 2023.
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