Rafa Nadal, 37 years old and world number 305, lost in the second round of the Masters 1000 ATP tournament in Rome. He fell to Polish Hubert Hurkacz, 27 years old and ATP number, 1-6 and 3-6 in 1h.33′.
Reverse the paths. The ten-time champion of the event, the historic king of the clay court, was knocked out at the hands of a player who was undoubtedly good but had lost his four previous matches at the Foro Italico.
Nadal, on his way to the age of 38 and saying goodbye to tennis, suffered a nightmare in what should have been his last match in Rome. As, his worst loss. He scratched four games, the fewest on clay.
The two records, both 2-6 and 2-6, started when he entered the circuit, a season before 2005, the era in which he came from the elite. He lost to Belgian Olivier Rochus in his debut at ATP tournaments, in the second round of Mallorca 2002, after defeating Paraguayan Ramón Delgado. The same result occurred at Hamburg 2023, third round against Argentine Gastón Gaudio.
It has been a period of dominance on clay, as much as the Madrid 2015 final, with 3-6 and 2-6 against British Andy Murray.
Other matches with more even results would have been more painful or had a greater impact for Rafa Nadal. In terms of calculation, only three opponents left him in only four games in an official clay court match. At the beginning and end of your career.
At its peak, it accumulated 92 titles on this surface. He won 459 of his 527 matches. He lost 48, three in this supposed farewell tour: in Barcelona it was Alex de Miñaur, he said goodbye in Madrid against Jiri Lehecka. In Rome he had the torment of not feeling competitive, against Hubert Hurkacz.
He managed to chain 81 consecutive victories on the ground, from April 2005 to Hamburg 2007. Everything has an end, as he always comments.
Source: La Verdad
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