11-0!
Rafael Nadal is still undefeated in 2022 with 11 wins.
A first-rate performance, even for him, since it is his best start to the season in his career, as in 2014. Nevertheless, the Spaniard no longer imagines himself on the roof of the world.
He does not believe he can dethrone the Serbian Novak Djokovic or his probable successor, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, in place of world number 1.
“I think that's a bygone era now.
My physical problems unfortunately prevent me from being able to hope to become Number 1 again ”, he regretted, Tuesday after his victory in the first round against the American Kudla (6-3, 6-2).
Nadal, who made his major circuit debut in 2002, first became number 1 on August 18, 2008 and hasn't had that honor since January 10, 2020. Chelem still remains in the top 5 in the world, just 150 points behind the current fourth, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, and 1587 points ahead of Matteo Berrettini, sixth.
Different goals
“I sometimes felt in a position to be number one but my physical condition did not allow it.
Today my goals are different, I'm not going to pursue this goal, it would be a mistake to persevere, ”said the Mallorcan.
Before his victory at the Australian Open, the Spaniard had indeed been sidelined for more than four months, to treat a left foot injury and to have contracted the coronavirus at the end of last year.
An accumulation of physical glitches, sometimes hard to accept.
This one goes to 1️1️ 💪@RafaelNadal zooms past Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 in Acapulco to improve to 11-0 on the season.#AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/XaOXvI9wYv
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 23, 2022
"I've been playing quite a bit for years," he recalled, adding, "I've been asked if I'm going to reduce the number of my appearances even more but if I reduced them even more, I might as well quit tennis.
Rafael Nadal nevertheless seems not to have said his last word.
He will face this Thursday at 3 am (French time) the American Stefan Kozlov in the second round of the Acapulco tournament.
Enough to calmly consider a twelfth victory in a row...
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