Rafael Nadal

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Nadal, Thiem, Tsitsipas & More Stars Training Hard In Madrid

Spoiler:

Eight of the world's Top 10 players are competing
With the Mutua Madrid Open underway, the world’s best players, including Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas, are working hard in practice to prepare themselves for a big run at the Caja Magica.

Nadal is chasing a sixth title at the Spanish ATP Masters 1000 tournament, where he has lifted the trophy in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017. The top seed has been training hard with the likes of World No. 10 Matteo Berrettini and countryman Jaume Munar.

Other stars who have practised together this week include Thiem and Andrey Rublev as well as Tsitsipas and Sebastian Korda.


The stars have not just been working hard on the court, though. They have also been preparing their bodies, both to be ready for training and for the rigours of tough clay-court matches.

Players have shown a variety of excercises, from typical work with bands to football warmups

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-t ... reparation

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I już wiadomo skąd u niego te słynne problemy z kolanami

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Ferrero & Moya Preview Nadal-Alcaraz Showdown In Madrid

Spoiler:

The match will be played on Alcaraz's 18th birthday
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will play a special match on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open. On the Caja Mágica clay, the most intimidating court in the country, two generations of Spanish tennis will cross paths in what promises to be an unforgettable battle. On Alcaraz’s 18th birthday, the great hope of the next generation will experience a unique moment before the fans inside Manolo Santana Stadium.

Two Spanish former World No. 1s will be watching from the player boxes: Carlos Moyà, the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s coach, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose understudy is one of the biggest young talents on the ATP Tour, will oversee the highly anticipated match.

“It’s going to be a special match,” Moya admitted. “It is an encounter between the present, because Rafa is still the present and has been for many years, and the immediate future. I think that Alcaraz is going to be a great player. He’s already very good, although he’s still lacking that experience and he’s in the process of improving. It’s a natural generational succession."

You May Also Like: Alcaraz On ‘Dream’ Nadal Clash: ‘It’s The Best Birthday Present’
“To me it’s a generational clash” Ferrero said. “Rafa is very much alive, he’s playing at a very high standard, fighting for Grand Slams. I wouldn’t dare talk about a succession. It’s true that Carlos is the guy coming up the rear, not to replace anyone, but to try and do great things and play great matches. I don’t think any talk of Carlos succeeding Rafa is good for him. It’s added pressure for him. It’s of little use.

“I like to think that we have another very promising player. With his game and the way he handles things from match to match, his head-to-head with players, gives me confidence that he will be very good. But we have to take it step by step.”


How do you approach a match like that? How do you tackle the challenge? What preparations do you make for the difficulties a young man whose hunger knows no bounds may face?

“You go out on full alert,” Ferrero said. “Rafa already knows Carlos because we trained together in Australia. He had the chance to play a set and a half. He knows that Carlos is dangerous, he knows that he has to give it his all.

“Any active player is already familiar with a promising player when they come along, they study them. You know that he’s dangerous, but you also trust yourself. Rafa has the extra experience, which is more than enough to know how to play. Obviously he will think that Carlos is dangerous, but it is just another match for him.”

How To Watch

Moyà witnessed the arrival of the future king firsthand on the clay of Umag in 2003, when Nadal upset him at just 17 years old. Although the Mallorcan points out several differences between the two situations, there is certainly an interesting comparison to be made.

“I wasn’t Rafa in the sense that I didn’t have 20 Grand Slams. I didn’t have his ambition, his quality or his game. And Rafa was even younger than Alcaraz is. There was a significant difference; I knew Rafa well, we’d trained a lot together,” Moya said. “The respect that Alcaraz perhaps has for Rafa, since they haven’t shared many moments together — he hasn’t had contact with him — Rafa didn’t have that respect for me. We shared a lot of things and in that regard, I think that it is lost a little bit, spending time with someone, knowing them so well. But they are special matches for everyone. They are special matches in that there is extra pressure on both of them, and the one that handles it best will take the match.”


The fans have always supported Nadal at the Caja Mágica as if he were family and the Madrid faithful are now ready to show Alcaraz the same affection. It will be an opportunity to enjoy a special moment, the significance of which will only become apparent as the years pass.

“Rafa will not last forever, that’s life, unfortunately,” Moya said. “In a few years, I think Carlos will be one of the players in the fight for Grand Slams. Maybe they will meet in the final of a big tournament. Rafa has been at an extremely high level for many years and Carlos in one or two years may be perfectly ready to fight for those tournaments. But we’re in 2021, and at the moment, Rafa still has that experience and the game that we believe is good enough to fight for any tournament.”

“We know that Rafa is practically invincible on clay, but the biggest challenge will be trying to be stable mentally all the time,” Ferrero said of his pupil. “I think he has to make that his greatest strength tomorrow. We know that Rafa puts everything into every point. That’s what young players find the hardest, being 100 per cent focussed all the time. To him it’s a big motivation doing it here at home. His family is here and they haven’t seen him play for a long time. He’s very excited.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz ... re-preview

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Nadal Snuffs Out Candles On Alcaraz's 18th Birthday

Spoiler:

Five-time champion awaits Popyrin or Sinner
Rafael Nadal crashed Carlos Alcaraz’s 18th birthday bash as he moved into the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open with a 6-1, 6-2 victory on Wednesday.

Fans at Manolo Santana Stadium sang ‘happy birthday’ as Alcaraz stepped onto the court against his childhood idol. But even in his country’s biggest tennis court and under the watchful eye of Spanish sports legends like Iker Casillas and Raul, Alcaraz showed no sign of nerves as he set the tone early on and pushed Nadal to break point in his first service game.


But the World No. 2 held firm and powered his way to a break in the next game, taking a 2-0 lead. Alcaraz did well to stay toe-to-toe with the five-time champion, but he over extended himself on a backhand lob at 2-0, 15/15 after a long rally and needed a medical time out.

Nadal reeled off the next three games as Alcaraz struggled to regain his footing, and the top seed claimed 12 of the last 15 points to close out the opening set. Nadal's heavy top spin pushed Alcaraz behind the baseline, and he dictated the rallies with his forehand to keep the ball out of his opponent’s strike zone.

How To Watch

Too many unforced errors undid the teenager’s efforts, and Nadal’s clinical performance didn’t allow him to find his rhythm in the second set. With the Spanish fans willing Alcaraz on, the wild card broke Nadal's serve at 3-1. But Nadal broke straight back, and closed out the victory after an hour and 13 minutes.

The generational second-round clash was more than just a showcase of the present and future of Spanish tennis. Both players are coached by Spanish greats and former World No. 1s, with Juan Carlos Ferrero in Alcaraz’s box and Carlos Moya in Nadal’s.

You May Also Like: Ferrero & Moya Preview Nadal-Alcaraz Showdown In Madrid
Top seed Nadal advanced to the third round, and awaits the winner of Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin and 14th seed Jannik Sinner.

Did You Know?
Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden ATP Masters 1000 victory in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open. In the process, the then-17-year-old became the youngest match winner in tournament history – breaking the record set by 18-year-old Rafael Nadal in 2004.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz ... -wednesday

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Nadal On Alcaraz: 'I Really Believe He Is Going To Be A Fantastic Player'

Spoiler:

The top seed will play Popyrin for a quarter-final berth
Rafael Nadal only lost three games on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open against Carlos Alcaraz, the 18-year-old who many believe might be the next great Spanish player. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Nadal had many positive things to say about his #NextGenATP countryman.

“When you make a salad and you are putting ingredients inside the salad, he has plenty of ingredients to become a great player,” Nadal said. “That's the main thing. Then of course, nothing is easy.

“You're going to have big opponents in front. Nothing is easy in this life. Being one of the best players in the world and fighting for the most important titles is something very difficult, but I really believe that he's one of the guys [who] can do it.”


Nadal discussed Alcaraz’s aggressive game and how much potential the teenager has.

“He's a young and good guy,” Nadal said. “He already has a great level of tennis today, but I really believe that he is going to be a fantastic player in the near future.

“I wish him all the very best. [As a] Spanish player and [as a] Spanish fan, I really believe that we need somebody like him, and it's great to have him here.”

You May Also Like: Nadal Snuffs Out Candles On Alcaraz's 18th Birthday
Already World No. 120, Alcaraz is the youngest player in the Top 500 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Nadal explained how rare it is to see a player that age with the Murcia-native’s skills.

“When somebody at his age is able to do the things that he's doing, it’s because you have something special. And at the same time, he's humble enough to keep working. He's passionate about the game,” Nadal said. “I really believe that he's a complete player. He's brave, he's able to go to the net very often. Great forehand, great backhand. Of course, [he] needs to improve a little bit the serve, but he's just 18 today, so he has plenty of time.”


Nadal won 63 per cent of his return points on Wednesday. The five-time Madrid champion is always fully focussed on the player in front of him, so he will quickly turn his attention to Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin, who defeated Jannik Sinner in the second round.

“He has a huge serve, great forehand, young, another tough opponent. But here we are in a Masters 1000, so we can't expect another thing,” Nadal said. “I hope to be ready to play well. That's what I’m going to need every single day if I want to have chances to keep playing. Tomorrow is another tough battle. I hope to be ready.”

The top seed is happy to be competing at the Caja Magica, where he is enjoying the support from his home fans.

“ enjoyed a lot being back [at] this very important place in front of probably the most loyal crowd in the world for me, so I enjoyed playing in front of them,” Nadal said. “Even if it was not a comfortable start against a very young and great player like Carlos, I think I played a solid match and I did what I had to do to be through. [I’m] very happy about the performance today.”

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Nadal Beats Popyrin, Reaches 15th Madrid Quarter-final

Spoiler:

The Spaniard will next play 2018 champion Zverev or Evans
Rafael Nadal continued his chase for a record-extending sixth Mutua Madrid Open title on Thursday, beating Aussie Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.

"It was difficult. The court today was slippery, it was very fast, very dry conditions. The ball was flying a lot. The beginning of the match was super tough," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "He was hitting every ball and hitting the spots. Very happy with the victory. It was an important victory, he came here playing well. Every match is tough."

This is the top seed's 15th trip to the last eight in the Spanish capital; the last time he didn't make it this far was 2012. Nadal will next play 2018 champion Alexander Zverev or tricky Briton Daniel Evans, who upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Monte-Carlo.

The scoreline was straightforward, but there were difficult moments for the Spaniard. Nadal faced 0/40 in his first service game of the match at 0-1, but Popyrin made three consecutive errors to give away a golden opportunity to make a quick start and set the tone.

How To Watch

Popyrin did well with his first serve, winning 83 per cent of those points. But the World No. 76 did not land enough of his first deliveries (51%), allowing Nadal to work his way into points and turn rallies into a baseline grind. Although the aggressive qualifier battled hard to stay in contact with the home favourite, he was unable to find enough consistency to make it even closer.

"I think I was doing things well, even if it was difficult to play against a player like him, [since] he was trying to hit every single ball," Nadal said. "He was hitting every ball hard. I needed to adapt and I think I did that well."

Nadal was opportunistic, converting four of his six break points and winning 43 per cent of his return points to advance after one hour and 20 minutes. The 34-year-old is now 10-0 against Australians and 40-0 against qualifiers on clay.



Popyrin was playing in the Round of 16 at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time and pursuing his first victory against a top five opponent. This year's Singapore champion, who defeated Jannik Sinner to earn a shot at Nadal, will climb to a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking next Monday.

"Yesterday he played against Sinner and he beat Jannik, so maximum respect," Nadal said. "He has a big potential, honestly."

Did You Know?
Nadal has now won seven consecutive matches dating back to the start of his title run at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The lefty is 13-2 on the season, with his only losses coming in the Australian Open quarter-finals (l. to Tsitsipas) and the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals (l. to Rublev).

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-p ... 1-thursday

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