It can happen that a tournament security guard is very jealous in his ways or confused with a tennis legend like that. Rafael Nadal? Yes of course. This is what happened with the Spaniard, to whom it seems that the 14 titles won in the French capital were not enough to be immediately seen by a security officer of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, which is being played this week in the Omnisport Palace.
The sequence took place when Nadal arrived at the complex, racket in hand, bag on his back. But the current world number 2 and 22 Grand Slam winner was stopped by the guard. “Your ID, please,” he asked. “I don’t have it here, I have to look for it in the locker room”, replied the player. “Who are you?” the security man insisted. “Rafael Nadal” was the Majorcan’s reply. The man seemed to yield to the evidence and let it pass. “Nadal, ok, thanks,” he accepted, as he handed him the ticket.
In any case, this is neither the first nor the last time that a great character in the world of rackets tries to move through the corridors of a tournament without the corresponding credential, and he runs into a strong goalkeeper. For example, not even Roger Federer was able to enter the Australian Open locker room a couple of years ago: he had to wait for his assistants to arrive with the corresponding card in order to enter.
Of course: as soon as Nadal was able to enter Paris, so was his departure. In his first match since the round of 16 of the US Open – in the meantime he had only played double at Federer’s retirement -, the Majorcan he lost to American Tommy Paul 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-1. An unexpected fall against the number 31 in the world ranking, but with a certain logic due to the lack of pace of Nadal, who was beginning to prepare for the Turin Masters.
Around midnight in Paris, he unexpectedly lost in just over two and a half hours, returning to the ATP Tour after crashing in the round of 16 of the US Open in September. The 36-year-old Spaniard lived a second half of the year marked by injuries and his recent paternity. This defeat, ten days before the start of the year-end Masters, would allow his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz to secure first place of the world at the end of the year, as long as he wins the Parisian Masters 1000. Alcaraz started Wednesday in Paris with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (38th), despite having his left knee protected by two bandages adhesive. In the round of 16, on Thursday, Alcaraz will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Tommy Paul’s victory over Nadal
Self-critical, Nadal did not take turns: “I had the match (in my hands) in that second set with sets and breaks. But I played badly there. I didn’t deserve the victory playing so badly in such an important moment, ”said Rafa. Then, he gave Paul all the credit: “Tommy played aggressively, he made a lot of good shots. We are always ready to make excuses, but in the end it is always the same. You play well, you win and if you don’t, you lose. “
Nadal, who will arrive in our country in the coming weeks to play a performance at Roca Park on the 23rd of this day against the Norwegian Casper Ruud, remarked that he intends to participate in the ATP Finals, the only big tournament left for him to win. : “Yes Nothing strange happens, I’ll be there. I am excited to play and have nothing to lose. After a good year, I’m going to go and do my best. I want to enjoy the contest. You never know when it will be the last, especially at my age. So I’ll do my best to have fun and then of course I’ll fight to get back. “
