Players who have been able to beat Rafael Nadal on clay can be counted almost on the fingers of one hand. The Spanish phenomenon, twelve times Roland Garros champion, has made only 39 defeats on his favorite surface along a career that began 19 years ago.
Former world number 6 Nicolas Lapentti succeeded in this feat in 2003, when he was able to reassemble a then seventeen year old Nadal at the “Swedish Open” in Bastad. The Majorcan would take revenge in the next two games.
The Ecuadorian, who turned professional six years before Rafa, has always regretted not having had a longer rivalry with the 19 year old Grand Slam champion. Interviewed by Radio Huancavilca, Lapentti tells how difficult it was to face Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nadal himself in the era of their domination.
Lapentti on Rafael Nadal
“I have always competed with Rafael Nadal but we were from different eras. If we had been at the same time, the quality would have been higher, “said Nicolas Lapentti. “I think of those three that I stay with Roger and Rafael because Novak reached its highest peak at another age,” he said.
Lapentti now hopes that Nadal can arrive in Ecuador for the exhibition event whenever the global situation improves. “The idea for this year has been to come Nadal, we must hope that everything will improve in the area of health, to hold such events,” said Lapentti.
In recent days, the cancellation of the Washington tournament was announced, which should have sanctioned the resumption of the men’s circuit. He is looking forward to knowing the fate of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and especially at the US Open, also considering the problem of quarantine for Europeans returning from the United States.
The impression is that a definitive answer will arrive by the end of July. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Open and the US Open are still scheduled to run consecutively in New York on August 20, despite several leading figures in men’s tennis having expressed doubts about the Grand Slam.
“This decision has no impact on the US Open or the Western & Southern Open,” said the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in a statement. “USTA will create a safe and controlled environment for players and everyone involved in both tournaments that mitigates health risks.”
He added: “We constantly base our decisions on hosting these tournaments on our three guiding principles which include the safety and health of everyone involved, if hosting these events is in the best interest for the sport of tennis and if this decision is financially viable. ”
