Qualified for the third round, Nadal wants to calm things down: "It's just a match".
Rafael Nadal reassured many experts on Saturday. Facing a tough but disappointing Alex De Minaur, the Majorcan delivered his best match since his return. Without offering a great match, Rafa was able to put on enough intensity to make his opponent explode.
Although the Australian is no expert on clay, this success means a great deal to the Spaniard, who is in a race against time to be competitive at Roland Garros and the Olympic Games.
Faced with the collective enthusiasm generated by this unexpected success, the man with 22 Grand Slam titles doesn't want to get carried away: "We're excited, but the reality is that it's only one match. In two days' time, we start again and my energy and confidence are gradually filling up, but today (this Saturday), I'm still a long way from being able to aspire to do something great. [...] That doesn't mean I'm not enthusiastic and hopeful for the future. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. If I'm here, it's because I still hope things will get better and because I'm still enthusiastic and motivated to play tennis."
In a draw that is more open than ever (no top 30 player before the quarter-finals), Rafa will already have to succeed in his next match. In the third round, Argentina's Pedro Cachin (ranked 91st in the world) awaits him.
Davis Cup: between reforms, criticism and national culture 
When tennis stars change courts: from Noah the singer to Safin the deputy, another match – the battle of reinvention 
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future? 
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival 
