Nadal assured that this meeting would be “possibly” his last match as a professional in a country where he was established
The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal said goodbye this Thursday as a professional Mexicoa country in which he rose to stardom at the age of 18, beating the Norwegian 7-6(7) and 6-4 Casper Ruud in an exhibition match in a bullring in Mexico City with more than 30,000 fans in its stands.
before the duel, Nadal He assured that this meeting would be “possibly” his last match as a professional in the North American country, where in 2005 he won his first major title, the Acapulco Open, which he won for the fourth time in his career in 2022.
“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,” he said. Nadal at the end of the game, his first in the Mexican capital.
The top grand slam winner with 22 prevailed 7-6(7) over Ruud 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 Mexico City, at 2,240 meters above sea level.
In the ‘tie-brake’, 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 he displayed 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 the serve of Ruud in the ninth ‘game’, to close in the tenth without problems with a Norwegian who suffered due to the width of the field of Nadal.
This was the last game of a Latin American tour that both started on November 23 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a victory for the Spaniard.
After that, they met in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and in Bogotá, Colombia, with another pair of victories for Nadaluntil last November 27 Ruud He beat the Iberian for the first time in his career in Quito, Ecuador.
Rafa also played a friendly duel in Santiago, Chile on November 25, against the local Alejandro Tabilo, whom he also defeated.
Before the exhibition of the Europeans, the Mexican couple of Renata Zarazúa and Santiago González defeated the Canadian Leylah Fernández and the American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-4.
