Rafael Nadal falters in Barcelona Open comeback, registers first straight-sets loss on clay since 2021

Rafael Nadal's comeback at the 2024 Barcelona Open came to an end on Wednesday, as the Spaniard fell to fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.

Nadal, playing after a three-month injury layoff, kickstarted his campaign in Barcelona with a 6-2, 6-3 drubbing of Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli. His second-round opponent, though, was a significant upgrade in terms of quality, and the Spaniard's physical struggles were immediately apparent.

De Minaur employed a series of dropshots to make life difficult for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, a strategy that worked very effectively. Nadal quickly lost his service to fall 2-0 and 3-1 behind but fought back to restore parity at 3-3.

Things continued in balance until 5-5, when a wayward service game from the Spaniard, who fell behind 40-0 before losing serve. Alex de Minaur seized on the opportunity to wrap up the set 7-5 and take the lead in the battle.

The second set was a far more disappointing affair for Rafael Nadal. The former World No. 1 lost serve thrice to concede the set 6-1 despite occasional moments of brilliance amid a continuing barrage of dropshots from the Aussie.

The last time Nadal last a match on clay in straight sets was in 2021, when he fell 6-4, 6-4 to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. The last time Nadal left a clay battle with seven games or fewer came in 2020, against Diego Schwartzman at the Italian Open (a 6-2, 7-5 loss).

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Where will Rafael Nadal play next after Barcelona Open loss?

Rafael Nadal at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2024 - Day Three

Following his exit from the 2024 Barcelona Open, Rafael Nadal will likely be in action next at the Madrid Open and then the Italian Open. The Spaniard has been handed a wildcard for Madrid, where he's a five-time former champion.

Meanwhile, his track record in Rome is even better, where the 22-time Grand Slam champion has won the title on 10 occasions in the past. After that, the former World No. 1 will end his clay swing at the French Open, where he's the record champion.

Nadal is a 14-time winner at Roland Garros and has won the title there seven times more than the second-most prolific active ATP champion in tournament history (Novak Djokovic, two titles).