Rafael Nadal’s return to tennis at the 2024 Barcelona Open ended in the second round, as he was defeated by fourth seed Alex de Minaur. Nadal, who had been sidelined for three months due to injury, began his Barcelona campaign with a victory over Italian player Flavio Cobolli. However, the Spaniard’s physical struggles were evident during his match against de Minaur.
De Minaur used dropshots effectively to pressure the 22-time Grand Slam champion. Nadal initially fell behind but managed to tie the score at 3-3. The match continued evenly until Nadal lost his serve, allowing de Minaur to win the first set 7-5. The second set saw Nadal lose his serve three times and ultimately lose 6-1 to de Minaur.
The last time Nadal lost a clay match in straight sets was in 2021, against Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open quarterfinals. His last defeat with seven or fewer games was in 2020 against Diego Schwartzman at the Italian Open.
Nadal is expected to compete next at the Madrid Open, where he has been granted a wildcard and is a five-time champion, and later at the Italian Open, where he has 10 titles. The former world number one will then conclude his clay swing at the French Open, where he is a record 14-time champion.
