Rafael Nadal said goodbye as a professional to Mexico, a country in which he rose to stardom at the age of 18, beating the Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-6 (7) and 6-4 in an exhibition match in a bullring in the city from Mexico with more than 30 thousand fans.
Before the duel, Nadal assured that this meeting would “possibly” be his last game as a professional in the North American country.where in 2005 he won his first major title, the Acapulco Open, which in 2022 he won for the fourth time in his career.
“It is an unforgettable feeling to live in such an environment in Mexico. I can only say thank you for the unconditional support, it is a country that has treated me like another Mexican. It’s hard for me to say goodbye to you,” said Nadal at the end of the match, his first in the Mexican capital.
The top winner of grand slams with 22 beat Ruud 7-6 (7) in the first set, in which after the first 12 games none could break serve due to the complications they went through to adapt to the altitude of Ciudad de Mexico, 2,240 meters above sea level.
In the ‘tie-break’, the Spaniard committed two double faults and let go of a couple of set points, but he still managed, with his good net play and setbacks, to go ahead in the match. Nadal displayed some of his best tennis in the second set, which he won 6-4. The Spaniard saved his serve three times in the fourth game, paving the way for the victory.
With the public on his side, the Spaniard broke Ruud’s serve in the ninth game, to close in the tenth without problems with a Norwegian who suffered from Nadal’s wide field.
