Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur is gearing up to face tennis legend Rafael Nadal for the second time in two weeks. After defeating the 22-time Grand Slam champion in their previous encounter, de Minaur is aiming to replicate his success when they meet again in Madrid.
The Australia, who received a bye in the first round of the ATP 1000 event, has been pitted against Nadal in the second round. The two players will face each other on Saturday and it is expected to be a thrilling contest with Nadal wanting to stage a comeback while de Minaur trying to level their head-to-head score.
With all the build-up around the match, de Minaur talked about his mentality that would potentially help to nullify the Nadal challenge for the second time in a row. The Australian said that in order to beat a legend like Nadal, he must lose all the respect and treat him like any other player on the tour.
So much physicality, even on the grass, so I can only imagine on a clay court. You have to lose all the respect you have for him and just play him as another player. Alex de Minaur said during an episode of All on the Table
Notably, this mentality worked in de Minaur’s favor in Barcelona as the Australian beat Nadal in straight sets of 7-5, 6-1 on a court named after the Spanish legend.
Rafael Nadal excited and ready for the Alex de Minaur challenge
While Alex De Minaur is gearing up to treat Rafael Nadal as any other player, the Spaniard is also prepping for the big challenge. Nadal expressed that he is excited to meet the Australian ace for the second time in two weeks.
Nadal admitted that de Minaur is a tough opponent and the 37-year-old sees it as an opportunity to test himself. He also claimed that he is not a favorite in this match.
Saturday is an opportunity to test myself as a tennis player. In Barcelona, I was only able to compete in one set. Alex is a tough opponent. He makes you play every point, to win I need time and effort. I'm not ruling anything out, but it's a match in which I'm not a favorite. Rafael Nadal said about facing Alex De Minaur in second round of Madrid Open.
Notably, Nadal stormed through his opening match and needed just 64 minutes to beat 16-year-old wildcard Darwin Blanch 6-1 6-0. The Spaniard said that he won because his opponent made a lot of mistakes. Nevertheless, Nadal would take a lot of confidence from this win as he faces the World No. 11.
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