Barcelona (AFP) – Rafael Nadal, 37, easily defeated the Italian Flavio Cobolli, 62nd player in the world, in two sets (6-2, 6-3) on Tuesday in Barcelona, showing his legs for his first match in over of three months.
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The Spaniard with 22 Grand Slam titles perhaps runs a little slower, hits a little less hard and no longer goes for certain balls that he was the only one able to bring back onto the court when he dominated world tennis.
But he still has the eye of the tiger, and everything needed in stock to dominate an opponent of this caliber, even after missing 102 days of competition since re-injuring his hip in Brisbane in early January.
“ Each time it’s more difficult » to play again after an injury, Nadal commented after his victory. “ Especially in old age, this makes things even more difficult “, he continued.
For only his 8th match in the last 14 months, after missing almost the entire 2023 season due to psoas surgery, the Spaniard gradually gained momentum, winning the first set in 43 minutes of play ( 6-2).
Enough for the spectators of the Catalan central court – which bears his name – to see their idol remind us that he had lost none of his touch on the ball with a superb cushioning, or his power on the backhand, like his full line cannon shot at 5-2.
“ Difficult times »
The king of clay, titled twelve times in Barcelona on the road to Roland-Garros, then unfolded in the second round, offering new thrills and a touch of nostalgia to his audience with a long-line forehand missile .
Broken at 1-1, the Majorcan quickly regained the upper hand even if he dropped a little in intensity, especially when serving with second balls at less than 150km/h.
He nevertheless reassured himself in the exchanges, notably concluding the best rally of the game, of around twenty shots, with a powerful smash to lead 5-2.
He then produced an almost perfect last service game to get the second set (6-3), and signed his first victory since his round of 16 in January in Brisbane, which was to serve as preparation for his big – aborted – comeback. at the Australian Open.
“ I’m going through some tough times, but at the same time, when I can be on the circuit for a few days, training with the guys and being able to play a little competitively, it means a lot to me “, did he declare.
This is also his first success on clay, his favorite surface, since his 14th title gleaned in pain at Roland-Garros in June 2022 against Casper Ruud.
After a first test passed without incident, “Rafa” will be able to gauge his real state in the second round against the 11th in the world Alex De Minaur, before a probable final Roland-Garros at the end of May.
“ I’m pretending it’s my senior year and I want to enjoy every moment ” assured Nadal before the start of the tournament, adding nevertheless that he did not set a deadline for retiring, which will come when he feels that ” it’s not worth it anymore » to push the limits of your body.