Rafael Nadal has described his start to the clay court season as a ‘dream’ after winning his tenth Barcelona Open title on Sunday.
The nine-time French Open champion overcame Austria’s Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1, to strengthen his dominance of the Spanish tournament. Nadal’s triumph occurred a week after he also won a tenth title at the Monte Carlo Masters. He has now won 71 ATP titles, of which 51 have occurred on the clay.
“Winning a tenth title here (in Barcelona) is something difficult to describe. It’s very special and unique. Ten titles is a lot. It’s an achievement that is so difficult to make.” Nadal said during his press conference.
Nadal’s latest triumph occurred during what has been one of his best starts to a season of his career. He now has a win-loss record of 29-5 this year and currently lies second in the race to London behind Roger Federer. In January he reached the final of the Australian Open, his best performance in any major since Roland Garros 2014. Since then, the Spaniard has reached another four ATP finals, winning two titles.
Known for his breathtaking ability on the clay, Nadal will once again be the man to beat at the upcoming French Open. There he has a chance to emulate his Monte Carlo and Barcelona milestones by winning a historic tenth title. No man has ever won ten titles at the same major. Margaret Court is the only woman to with 11 Australian Open trophies (1960-1973).
“Now is a moment to enjoy these two events.” Nadal responded when asked about the upcoming grand slam. “ It has been such a special two weeks for me and now the next stop for me is Mallorca. Have some rest and start to think about Madrid. I never think about Roland Garros before Madrid and Rome. They are two very important events for me.”
Regardless of the back-to-back titles, the 30-year-old is currently on course to miss out on a top-four seeding. In the Emirates rankings he is 390 points adrift from fourth placed Roger Federer. The task is not impossible for Nadal, who believes he can win in Roland Garros regardless of his ranking.
“In order to do it, I have to win Madrid or Rome title, but I can win Roland Garros, even if I won’t be in the top 4.” He said.
Next week, Nadal will be bidding to win his fifth Madrid Open title and first since 2014.
Nadal’s 2017 so far
Brisbane – Quarter-finals (lost to Milos Raonic)
Australian Open – Runner-up (lost to Federer)
Acapulco – Runner-up (lost to Sam Querrey)
Indian Wells – R4 (lost to Federer)
Miami Open – Runner-up (lost to Federer)
Monte Carlo – Champion (defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas)
Barcelona – Champion (defeated Thiem)
