Rafael Nadal returned to the victory of an Atp tournament at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, a tournament that saw the Spaniard triumph for the third time, but the first on hard court. The number 2 in the world has literally dominated in Acapulco, where he hasn’t lost a single set.
Thanks to this victory, the 19-time Grand Slam champion joins the club of tennis players who have won over 100 ATP tournaments in all categories. In fact, it should be noted that Nadal has won 85 tournaments in singles while the other 16 tournaments come from doubles, mixed and Davis Cup.
In Majors, Nadal has won a record twelve French Open titles, four US Open titles, two Wimbledon titles and one Australian Open title, and won at least one Grand Slam every year for a record ten consecutive years. During a recent interview, the former World number 1 revealed his desire to leave a lasting legacy: “In the future, I do not want to be remembered as a tennis player who won numerous titles, but to have left a good example for boys and girls,” he said.
“This is my only objective, then winning or losing is part of the sport in general. If one thing I wish I could say that I have done well is that I have transmitted positive things on and off a track and that makes me very satisfied on my part”. Nadal will return to the court in Indian Wells and Miami before his beloved red clay.
Rafael Nadal reveals main goals in the rest of 2020 after conquering Acapulco
World no. 2 Rafael Nadal is back on the winning path for the first time since the US Open last year, claiming the 85th ATP title in Acapulco last week. Making a winning debut there at 18 in 2005, Nadal won the crown in 2013 when the event was held on clay for the last time, losing the final to Sam Querrey in 2017 and not playing well a year ago when he wasted match points against Nick Kyrgios.
There were no signs of problems for Rafa last week, losing 25 games in ten sets and dominating on both serve and return against all five rivals to lift the first trophy since September, staying in touch with Novak Djokovic who also grabbed 500 points in Dubai.
The title couldn’t come in the better moment for Rafa, losing in the final of the ATP Cup to Novak Djokovic and the quarter-final of the Australian Open to Dominic Thiem, losing points won in 2019 and stepping down from the ATP throne.
Now, the Spaniard is motivated to chase more success in the rest of the year, notching his 17th straight season with at least one ATP title and hoping for more of the same in Indian Wells, Miami and on clay. Nonetheless, Nadal is aware the triumph from Acapulco would lot give him much if he doesn’t stay healthy, mentioning that as one of the main goals in 2020, together with securing the ATP Finals berth for the incredible 16th time in a row.
“We don’t have to think about the future at the moment, only to enjoy the title. Winning Acapulco doesn’t guarantee a great year; it means it’s a good start that will give me confidence ahead of the next tournaments.
This triumph allows me to gain places in the ATP Race for London, which is one of the goals of the season. In addition to that, I want to stay healthy and chase as many titles as possible. I’m still competing at the highest level, eager to produce more weeks like the one in Acapulco.”
