Rafael Nadal lost 7-5 6-1 to Alex de Minaur in the 2nd round of the Barcelona tournament. Nadal had not played on the ATP circuit before this week since suffering a hip injury in Brisbane at the beginning of January.
The 37-year-old Spaniard, with 22 Grand Slam titles, held off his opponent for a set before giving up without however showing any physical discomfort. With a total of 42 unforced errors, the Manacor bull still has room for improvement in his technique. The Spaniard is down to 644th in the world and has made his return this week after more than three months of absence. The Australian is now 11th on the list of players ranked in the top 100, behind Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Roger Federer, who are all in the top 10. The match took place at the Maracana in Barcelona, Spain, on April 17.