Rafael Nadal Victorious In 1st Clay Court Match In 681 Days

Rafael Nadal hit a down-the-line forehand winner from about 10 feet behind the baseline, leaving his opponent stunned.

The shot occurred in the second game of the second set of his first match on a clay court in 681 days and evoked images of Nadal in his prime.

The 37-year-old Spanish tennis legend prevailed over Italian Flavio Cobolli, 6-2, 6-3, in his first match of the Barcelona Open and his first on clay since winning a 14th Roland Garros title on June 5, 2022. He has won the Barcelona title 12 times and the main court there is named after him.

It was Nadal’s 481st career victory on clay, third-most all time, and set him up to next face No. 4 seed Alex De Minaur. Nadal improved to 67-4 at Barcelona, where he has reached the semis or better in 13 of 16 appearances.

“I’m just trying to enjoy every moment now,” Nadal, ranked 644th in the world despite winning 22 Grand Slam titles, said ahead of his first match. “I was not able to spend a lot of days on the tour the last three years so just trying to enjoy every day that I am able to play with the guys and at a professional level. That means a lot to me.”

Nadal last played on March 3 in an exhibition loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas and appeared healthy despite a left hip injury that forced him to withdraw from Brisbane after three matches and then miss the Australian Open.

He then withdrew from Doha and Indian Wells

He has played a total of 12 official matches since the 2022 U.S. Open.

“The day after Roland Garros I have been on crutches, so that’s the truth,” Nadal said, referring to a foot injury that required numbing injections on the nerve in his foot.

He added that he has dealt with “a lot of issues and difficulties” over the years.

“That’s part of life,” he said.

Cobolli came in ranked 62nd in the world with victories over Yoshihito Nishioka. Gael Monfils and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

But he found himself overwhelmed by Spanish legend and the pro-Nadal crowd, and committed 41 unforced errors.

Nadal displayed a new serve that emphasizes his left arm more and his abdominal muscles less. It was not overpowering but effective nonetheless.

He showed a willingness to be offensive and his two-handed backhand looked good.

Asked what success this week would look like for Nadal, Paul Annacone said on Tennis Channel: “I think getting through the tournament uninjured, whether is’ one match or four, that to me is success. Hopefully and feeling better as you play.

“Every match you win is a huge bonus, but getting through and getting to the end of the tournament.”