Spain’s Rafael Nadal wins the Mexican Open

Rafael Nadal wins the Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco

Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal won the Mexican Open tennis tournament in the city of Acapulco on Sunday, February 27. The fourth seed clinched a 6-4 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie, the new British number one, while not dropping one single set all the way through the competition.

“At the start of the year this was unimaginable”, said Nadal, who, in a dramatic turnaround, has recovered from a foot injury that he thought would finish his career. He has now won all three tournaments he entered so far in 2022. “A month and a half ago nobody would have believed it”, he enthused.

Nadal picked up a record 21st major men’s title when he won the Australian Open back in January, while also being victorious in the warm-up competition held in Melbourne. This win gives him an incredible total of 91 men’s titles.

By winning in Acapulco, the Spaniard becomes both the youngest and the oldest player to win the tournament. His first Mexican victory was back in 2005, aged just 18. He won it again in 2013 and 2020.

Norrie came into the Mexican Open off the back of a fine win last week in Florida’s Delray Beach, and has moved up to 12th in the world rankings. The 26-year-old Brit held his own in the first set, before Nadal capitalised on the only breakpoint in the fifth game.

Evenly poised at 1-1, the second set suddenly slipped away from Norrie as the Spaniard racked up four games in a row. Nadal subsequently set up two championship points in the next game with a stunning pick-up volley, but only needed one of them after Norrie hit his forehand long. 

Speaking after the match, Norrie said, “Rafa doesn’t give you any free points, and if you give him one or two he takes advantage of them. It is impressive to see how he still does it”.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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