Alex de Minaur faced Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard’s final appearance at the Madrid Open.
The clay season has felt very different without Rafael Nadal this year. Dubbed the ‘King of Clay’, the Spaniard used to sweep titles, winning the French Open 14 times and collecting 26 trophies across the Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome. Nadal enjoyed his final outing on the dirt last year, though he wasn’t the player he once was, having spent months sidelined by injuries.
The former world No. 1 still managed to go on a dream run in Madrid, where he beat Alex de Minaur in a grudge match. It was a surprise result given Nadal’s woes and his recent loss to De Minaur. At the time, the Aussie admitted he had to “lose all respect” for the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
