Rafael Nadal Says Monte Carlo Defeat ‘Put Him In His Place’ - UBITENNIS

Rafael Nadal Says Monte Carlo Defeat ‘Put Him In His Place’

The former world No.1 is looking to regain his momentum on the clay this week in Barcelona.

By Adam Addicott
3 Min Read

World No.3 Rafael Nadal has played down the significance of his recent loss at the Monte Carlo Masters as he aims to get back on track in Barcelona.

Playing in his first tournament since the Australian Open last week, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was stunned by Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. Nadal led the match by a set before losing in three which is the first time that has ever happened to him at the tournament. It was only the second time he has failed to reach the last four since 2005.

Reflecting on his loss at the Barcelona Tennis Club on Tuesday, Nadal has vowed not to dwell too much on what happened. Instead, he sees a silver lining to his setback on the Tour.

“Monte Carlo is in the past. And the defeats, even if they are not pleasant and positive, can put everyone in their place,” he told reporters. “Afterwards, doubts always come. We are in Barcelona, ​​of course. There are things to improve. The game with Rublev was strange. There are things that were wrong.’
“An important month is coming for me and I try not to affect things too much. “

The top seed in the Barcelona Open, Nadal is seeking to win the title for a record 12th time in his career. He has trained at the venue since he was a teenager and the premier court is now named after him. On the men’s Tour Barcelona is Spain’s second most prestigious tournament after the Madrid Masters.

“Of course it is easier to win at Roland Garros if you win tournaments earlier. The main objective for me is to manufacture the option of winning again.” Nadal stated.
“Tennis Barcelona has been my club since I was 13 years old. I’m always excited to play in Spain and even more so after last year it couldn’t be. The fact that there will be an audience is also important.” He added.

A total of four top 10 players will be taking part in the tournament. Besides the king of clay, Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rublev and Diego Schwartzman will all feature in the draw.

Nadal will start his campaign against qualifier Ilya Ivashka who defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1, in his opening match. The Belarusian is currently ranked 111th in the world and reached the quarter-finals of the Andalucia Open earlier this month.

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