"I saw Rafael Nadal looking & lost six games" - Spaniard's academy alum Daniel Rincon reveals how legend's presence troubled him during Challenger win

Daniel Rincon opened up about the nerves he felt after spotting Rafael Nadal in the stands during the recent ATP Challenger Tour event in the latter's eponymous academy. Rincon won his second Challenger title at the same place where he graduated from in 2021.

Rincon was in contention at the Rafa Nadal Open, playing at the familiar court he had trained on since arriving at the state-of-the-art facility as a 16-year-old in 2019. The ATP Challenger Tour 75 hard-court event in Manacor, Mallorca, saw the 22-year-old defeat Austrian Jurij Rodionov in one hour and 43 minutes, thereby clinching his second Challenger title.

However, his trajectory in the game was not smooth as he felt the nerves when he spotted Nadal himself watching from the stands. In an interview with the ATP Tour, he admitted to having lost six games but finding his form quickly since there was not much time to waste.

“I saw him looking, and I lost six games in a row. I got a bit tight there.”

Moreover, it was a full-circle moment for him, winning where he had kick-started his career as a teenager. Rincon added:

“It was the best week of my life, by far. I really cannot compare it to anything else. I thought about how it could be before the final, or the feelings of winning there, but it was even more than I imagined. It was unbelievable.”

Rincon, who won his first Challenger title at the 2024 Tampere Open, also shared that he was not looking at Nadal in the stands but was always anxious about it.

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Daniel Rincon once talked about how Rafael Nadal influenced his career

Rincon at the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open - (Source: Getty)

Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam titlist, works closely with the students of his academy and played a significant role in shaping 2021 graduate Daniel Rincon's tennis career as well. The latter, who joined the academy as a teenager, once talked about the same to Eurosport, saying:

"It is not only the things that they say to you, it also has a lot to do with who tells you and how they say it to you. Having Rafa so close, sometimes even behind me in training, is a great influence. Part of the improvement I have had in recent years has been thanks to him and his environment."

Daniel Rincon won his first ATP Challenger doubles title at the 2023 Murcia Open, before qualifying for the main draw at the Geneva Open.