WATCH: Rafael Nadal hopeful of making a “competitive” start next season while relishing his achievements of 2022
Rafael Nadal
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal registered a comfortable win against Norwegian Casper Ruud at the 2022 ATP Finals in straight sets despite losing his first two matches of the Green Group. The win gave a morale booster to the Spaniard legend on his final match of the year as it also ended his 4-match losing streak. He contemplated on his incredible performances throughout the year as he hopes to make a strong comeback next year.
He has endured a 39-8 win-loss record throughout the year with four titles including the two Grand Slam singles titles. The Mallorcan was quite dominant in the Grand Slam matches with a 20-match winning streak until his fourth loss at the US Open. Nadal had a fair share of ups and downs since his abdominal injury proved to be a setback for him in the second half of the year.
He had already been eliminated from the semifinal race in Turin but was appreciated for ending the year on a positive note. During the post-match interview, World No 2 seemed happy and contended with his performances throughout the year. He claimed that he has no complaints since it has been an incredible year for him with age not on his side. He claimed that he looks forward to enhancing his preparations in the next year and making a strong campaign to defend his title at the 2023 Australian Open.
“I can’t ask for more. 2022 has had a tough six months. I can’t complain, because at my age, being able to achieve success in four titles, including two Grand Slams, and be competitive means a lot to me. 2023? Just trying to have the right preparation, work well and start the season with energy and attitude, and raise the level to be competitive from the start,” said Nadal.
Rafael Nadal became the first-ever tennis player to cross the 17 million mark followers on Instagram
Apart from achievements on the court, Rafael Nadal unlocked a new achievement in his career as he became the first-ever tennis player to cross 17 million Instagram followers. It clearly showed how much people love and admire him on social media. He regularly posts his day-to-day activities and has left his fans intrigued in his professional as well as his personal life.
The 2022 Australian Open champion similarly has 15 million followers on his Twitter account. He left behind the 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic who has 11.6 million Instagram followers whereas the retired Swiss legend Roger Federer has 10.9 million Instagram followers.
Prateek Pradhan
(601 Articles Published)