Rafael Nadal, the 30-year-old tennis star is having the time of his life as he went on to beat Dominic Thiem to win his tenth Barcelona Open title on Sunday, April 30. Nadal defeated Thiem 6-4, 6-1 in a clay court match in the finals of the Barcelona Open. This is the Spaniard’s second win in a consecutive week, the first of which was his win in Monte Carlo Masters on April 23.
After his victory over the Austrian, the Spaniard shared that “it is a dream start on clay.” He also shared that his Barcelona win was a big moment for which he is really happy.
Nadal won the titles back in 2005-2009 and 2011-2013.
Nadal’s win over Thiem
Thiem had awed the tennis world by defeating world number one Andy Murray in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open, which took place on Saturday, April 29. In a face-off with Nadal, the Austrian showed minor resistance in the first set, with his only break point occurring in the first game of the match. However, the “King of Clay,” who has been in form following his win at Monte Carlo, upped the match intensity by taking the set with only a single break in the tenth game of the final match.
Later the Spanish tennis star admitted that the first set was crucial to him. In the second set, Thiem’s frustration at his inability to break Nadal’s defenses was quite evident, and the crowd saw him firing on consistently.
The Austrian player held off three break points in his opening service game, but this was not enough to stop his rival from showing off his caliber.
The Spaniard won the last five games in a span of 90 minutes to clinch the title of Barcelona Open in a court named after him - "Rafa Nadal" center court.
However, Thiem took his defeat sportingly and added that he enjoyed his week in Barcelona and doesn’t mind losing against the “King of Clay.”
Rafael Nadal back in form
Nadal has had a good week so far with his 10th consecutive win at Monte Carlo Masters and now winning the Barcelona Open, also for the 10th time. This will be his second title in the current season and the 71st of his career.
The Spaniard – who is ranked fifth in the world – is now gearing up for French Open scheduled to start from May 22.
The last time Nadal won a Grand Slam title in Roland Garros was three years ago. This will be his 10th French Open title if he succeeds in winning. Early on this season, Nadal suffered defeat at the hands of world number four Roger Federer who managed to beat the Spaniard in the Australian Open finals.
