Rafael Nadal wasn’t interested in complaining about playing another very lengthy match against Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard highlighted that stuff like this is a part of tennis and the only thing he can do is focus on how to play again today.
After overcoming Alex de Minaur in two hours of play on Saturday, Nadal played a marathon on Monday as he needed just over three hours of play to beat Pedro Cachin 6-1 6-7 (5) 6-3.
Since Nadal is just returning from an injury break and he did so while admitting that he was probably still not where he would like to be, some started instantly fearing about the Spaniard’s fitness after he spent a total of five hours on the court in his last two matches.
Rafael Nadal © Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney
But Nadal – who plays Jiri Lehecka today in the Madrid round-of-16 – was quick to shut those fears down.
Nadal on if he has fitness concerns ahead of the Lehecka match
“That’s tennis. I mean, I cannot have any concern in terms of playing tomorrow again. That’s how the tournament works,” Nadal said.
“I need to find a way to be able to play days in a row and still be competitive. I don’t know if I am in that moment yet. Let’s see what can happen tomorrow. But I’m gonna try. I’m gonna do the things the right way to try to be ready for tomorrow. So I cannot worry at all. Just happy to be on the court again tomorrow hopefully. Hope to be ready.”
Rafael Nadal © Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney
When Nadal, 37, and 22-year-old Lehecka meet today, it will be the first time that they are clashing against each other.
Lehecka, who is ranked at No, 31 in the world, started his Madrid campaign with two straight-set wins and since the Czech has been on the rise for the past year, he certainly won’t be an easy matchup for Nadal.
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