Nadal lost his first Grand Slam match of the year and the No. 1 is in danger

Rafael Nadal He lacks that spark that allows him to react in games that are difficult for him. Without that extra, after over a month of not competing due to a stomach injury sustained Wimbledon which also conditioned his current serve (he made 9 double faults), ran into an opponent in an opposite situation, taking advantage of a day of inspiration, of glory.

The American Frances Tiafoe, 24 years old and world number 26, he eliminated the Spanish, 36 years old and number 3, in the round of 16, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and 6-3 in 3h.33′. The man from Manacorí insisted on finding the deed, but the deed was signed by the American. He managed to beat Rafa Nadal in the Grand Slam, something no one has achieved this year. Manacorí’s undefeated streak ended after 22 wins.

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In fact, this is the worst result of the 22-time Grand Slam champion in tournaments of this category as he also stayed in the round of 16. Wimbledon 2017.

The situation is compromised for Nadal, who expected more in New York, in his return after adding his fourth title in the 2019 edition.

After the KO of the Russian Daniel Medvedevdefender of the crown, against the Australian Nick Kyrgios, Nadal almost took the world number one, although a return to ATP leadership is no longer in his hands alone. It’s just the next number one if nothing else Carlos Alcaraz by norwegian Casper Ruud they reached the final.

For him, the latter is an anecdote. Think of ‘big’ titles. He has already shown signs of weakness in his first two games, losing from the start both against the Australian Rinky Hijikata as opposed to Italian Fabio Fogni. remented, while Richard Gasquet nor worried.

Tiafoe raised the bar, and Nadal did not reach it, for a long time with the powerful shots of an American who has already declared that he is not the same as he twice yielded in 2019. “I have matured, now I am in I think I can win, I’m going to see Rafa.” Said and done.

He played a massive match, as Rafa Nadal always demands at these events, even if it wasn’t the perfect version of the Spaniard, who didn’t even hold a 3-1 lead in the fourth set. Legs are missing, right. It was not the islanders day on a very humid day. He sweated the drop of fat. Between the first and the second he was gone for eight minutes, they wrapped his wrists so that the sweat wouldn’t slip off them. Every now and then he reminds us that he is human. The film needed to be made, it just didn’t get to the point where it needed to take on such a high hurdle.

His gray clash combined with the excellent results of the rival in passing Frances Tiafoe in his first quarter of the US Open, second in the Grand Slam after the Australia 2019, where he was run over by Nadal. The Russian was waiting for him this time Andrew Rublev.

“Caffeine, coffee,” they shouted from the box Carlos Moyà, Sebastià and Maribel Nadal. The retractable roof has just closed in the fourth set, Rafa 2-1. They also noticed that the average energy was lacking in their student, son and brother, respectively. That’s not the day. He marched towards the fifth defeat of the course with no strength for the hero.

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Tiafoe is very punishing with a backhand crosscourt, the forehand down the line. He hit 18 aces, many when he needed them, to come back from 15-40 down with Nadal 3-2 in the fourth set. He launched missiles, he was very fast. A mole in his performance, the double fault cost him the second round. Not even that, because risk is part of a complete repertoire. He is brave, he has faith. He showed his great potential, in full development at 24 years old.