Neither Rafael Nadal he was an infallible machine when he crushed Delbonis and Dimitrov, nor is he now a vulnerable veteran on the brink of retreat after losing before Rublev on land. Nadal is simply a tennis player. Not just any player, that's true, because we are facing one of the greatest in history, the greatest if we reduce the ranking to this surface. Here in Monte Carlo, he holds the record with 11 titles. Galactic numbers. But in any case, Nadal is a tennis player. And like any other athlete, discipline does not matter, if you match a bad day, a disastrous game with improper errors in the service and with a setback without a bite, just on the date when you face one of the best on the circuit, the normal thing is that you lose. Even so, as Nadal is Nadal, there was a hint of comeback after flipping the second set. But he could not consummate. It was not the day for Rafa. Yes for Andrey.
There is no excuse on which to support this defeat, although there is some explanation that may have influenced it. Nadal arrived in Monaco with only five previous matches and leaves with eight, a little activity that contrasts with the 27 disputed by Rublev, with a record of 23-4 victories, the best of the season. Rafa is out of rhythm, it's normal. And his previous rivals didn't help him find it, either. The Russian is in the opposite situation, he is in a sweet moment of tennis and has become a gladiator with 'swimmable' features, polished in Spain by Fernando Vicente, in full progression at 23 years old, and with the ability to choose demanding matches in his favor, both physically and mentally, as he already demonstrated the day before before Roberto Bautista. He was not the best opponent to show lacks, because Rublev knows how to dig into those wounds. The defeat of Nadal hurts, it is not usual to see him give way on the ground, but it remains schedule to fine-tune before Roland Garros. To get started, next week in Barcelona. The comeback continues.