Rafael Nadal opens up: 'I did not know my rib was fractured'

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Rafael Nadal missed the second part of 2021. The Spaniard made a perfect comeback this season, making his career-best start and winning all 20 matches ahead of the Indian Wells final. Nadal experienced the first setback in the desert, fracturing his left rib and missing Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Nadal battled past his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final, prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and 12 minutes! Two rivals pushed each other to the limits in windy conditions, and Nadal prevailed with a better performance in the decider. Nadal won only two points more than Alcaraz and seized six breaks from 21 opportunities. A teenager delivered five breaks from 14 chances, insufficient to score a victory. The rivals stayed neck and neck in the shortest and more advanced rallies. Rafa made the crucial difference with a single break in the decider to advance into his 53rd Masters 1000 final.

Rafael Nadal fractured his left rib in Indian Wells.

The veteran fractured his left rib in the closing stages, feeling the pain while breathing but still deciding to play the final against Taylor Fritz. Rafa thought it was a muscle spasm, not knowing he fractured his rib. Seeking his fourth consecutive title, Rafa experienced a 6-3, 7-6 defeat against the American, experiencing his first loss in 2022. Nadal sprayed over 30 unforced errors and handed the first Masters 1000 trophy to the 24-year-old American. Fritz was not at his best either, experiencing an ankle injury in the semi-final against Andrey Rublev but enduring all the efforts to lift the trophy.

The American was the more aggressive player, doing damage with his forehand and staying in touch with the Spaniard in the more extended exchanges. Taylor won ten points more than Rafa and fended off eight out of ten break chances, mainly in the second set. Playing miles below his best, Nadal got broken four times from nine opportunities offered to his young opponent to finish on the losing side. They had a similar number of winners, and the American tamed his strokes nicely to stay on 22 unforced errors while the Spaniard sprayed 34. Rafa missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona and stayed away from the court until the Madrid Masters.

"I did not lose a match until the Indian Wells final. I fought against Carlos Alcaraz when I broke my rib in the encounter's closing stages. I could barely breathe in the locker room ahead of the final. However, I decided to play against Taylor because they told me it was probably a muscle spasm," Rafael Nadal said. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/UdjEC3v

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