Rafael Nadal is human.
The Spaniard, unbeaten until then in 20 games in 2022, ended up breaking, diminished by pain and respiratory discomfort, on Sunday, beaten by the talented American Taylor Fritz, who offered Indian Wells the best title of his career.
"I gave the best of myself in the last two weeks, but this time it was not possible, even if I fought until the end", commented warmly the Mallorcan, who had in fact, he was pushed to his limits several times during the previous rounds, but he got away with it, carried by this eternal warrior soul that characterizes him.
This time, it was not his left foot, operated on last year, forcing him to more than four months of absence, which made him suffer.
But a pain, which appeared on Saturday evening after his hard-won semi-final against his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz (19th), whom he himself had difficulty placing on his left flank.
“When I try to breathe, it hurts”
“It's hard to breathe.
I don't know, I feel very... When I try to breathe, it hurts and it's very uncomfortable.
It's obvious that I wasn't able to do normal things today.
I tried, but I lost against a great player.
I don't think this is the time to talk about me.
It's his day, ”he said at a press conference, between unusual disarray and strict fair play.
Nadal had just given up, beaten 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) after two hours spent fighting this pain - he called the physio twice, even going to the locker room the first after the loss of the first set – only against Fritz, who is determined to create the feat, he the native of San Diego, who until then had only the title of the grass tournament, much less prestigious, of Eastbourne in 2019.
First player this season to bring down the ogre Nadal, the most successful in Grand Slams (21) since his triumph at the Australian Open at the end of January, who was aiming for a 4th coronation in Indian Wells (after 2007, 2009 and 2013) , Fritz also became the first American to triumph in the Californian desert since Andre Agassi in 2001.
What a little to restore the image of the United States, whose men's tennis has remained dormant in recent years, but seems to have to regenerate with the generation of Reilly Opelka, Sebastian Korda and other Jenson Brooksby, all aged between 21 and 24 years old .
Before collapsing with joy on the center court, Fritz thought he could not enter it.
Because he too was hurt on Saturday, after dismissing the Russian Andrey Rublev (7th).
He said he hurt his right ankle a little late in the game and he had to quickly cut short his morning training.
Nadal now third in the world
"This morning, I cried out in pain leaning on it ... and then finally I was not embarrassed during the match," said the winner, strapped his leg, which indeed showed no sign of physical decline.
The most suffering of the two was therefore not the one we thought and the American, who admitted to having understood that "something was happening" opposite, played his luck thoroughly, relying in particular on his cross backhand, his best weapon.
Overtaken in the first round, Nadal resisted as best he could in the second.
Despite a large number of unforced errors, he was not disunited, winning some superb points by going after himself.
He even suggested yet another "come up", after saving a first match point at 5-4 against him on his serve.
But he was unable to convert the break points which would perhaps have restarted everything afterwards, and ended up giving in to the decisive game, Fritz not missing his chance this time.
"Winning here is just a childhood dream that I didn't even think I could achieve", confided, very moved, the one who became the youngest winner of Indian Wells, since Novak Djokovic in 2011.
For Nadal, now, a rest is essential, before attacking the season on clay, with the end goal of a 14th title at Roland-Garros.
In the meantime, the Spaniard, who will have to wait to equal the record of 37 Masters 1000 titles held by Novak Djokovic, will be able to console himself with the assurance of climbing to 3rd place in the world on Monday.