Rafael Nadal

The Spaniard got the 1068th win of his career with a four-set victory over Britain's Jack Draper on Rod Laver Arena.

Awaiting Nadal in the second round will be No. “Well, if we put in perspective all the situation I went through the last six months, it has been a very positive start. Just super happy to be back here in Rod Laver Arena, and with a victory that I needed. And the match was a brawl from the start. Nadal couldn’t have asked for a more dangerous first-round opponent than Draper, though—not only was the 21-year-old British lefty only five spots out the seeds, but he came into the Australian Open with momentum, too, having reached the semifinals in Adelaide last week. Facts & Stats

Defending champion Rafael Nadal was left without the racquet he wanted to use in his opening match against Britain's Jack Draper after a ballboy seemingly ...

However, Drapper made a strong comeback in the second set, winning it by 6-2. I need the dampener and everything. “I need the racquet back.

Top-seeded Nadal recovered from a second-set wobble to defeat the 38th-ranked Briton 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.

MIKE DICKSON IN MELBOURNE: Jack Draper made a painful exit from the Australian Open after the exertion of trying to take down Rafael Nadal proved too much.

We are going to see him playing a lot of years here having great results.' Draper struggled with cramp, playing in the longest and most physical match of his life so far - Nadal came through in four sets as Draper struggled with cramp in the match

Rafael Nadal had to dig deep on Monday at the Australian Open to claw through his first-round match against Jack Draper. But for the defending champion it ...

I am happy that I was able to win against a great player this afternoon.” “When you break the abdominal, you start to protect yourself, putting the ball more to the left, trying to not do the movement, the full movement, with the abdominal.” But I think he is in the right position to have a very productive season. I am in a moment that I am more up and down. “I think it's only cramping that happened at the end to him. “To win against Jack, as I said before the tournament started, has been one of the toughest first rounds possible being seeded. “I needed a victory, so that's the main thing. A great future in front, I think. “But to win against Jack, I need to do things well. I think I did things well. The most important thing today is a victory against a tough opponent,” Nadal said. A win was a win.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal was far from his best as he produced an error-laden performance during his opening-round victory over Jack Draper at the ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) Draper’s former coach Justin Sherring told the Daily Telegraph: “We used to base a lot of our game development around Rafa.

It has been a tough couple of months for Rafael Nadal but he got his Australian Open campaign off to a winning start in Melbourne.

It wasn't a vintage performance by Rafael Nadal, but the defending Australian Open champion began his pursuit of a 23rd Grand Slam with a four-set victory ...

"But unfortunately, that (is in the past), so we need to keep working.'' [Carlos Alcaraz](http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=3782) is sidelined with an injury, is appearing in his 67th Grand Slam tournament. No doubt about that,'' said Nadal, who came back from a two-set deficit against Draper, ranked a career-best No. From there, though, Nadal would not drop another game, beginning his pursuit of a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam championship with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory that took more than 3½ hours in Rod Laver Arena. Nadal was not in peak form.

Midway through the first set against Britain's Jack Draper, the 22-time grand slam winner stood with his arms spread as explained to the umpire that he was ...

“The combination of lights.” “Unfortunately that passed, so we need to keep working. I need the dampener and everything,” added the Spaniard, referring to the small rubber device which tennis players place between the strings to lessen the impact when they hit shots. “I need the racquet back! “Normally, I have the number of the rackets under control so I said I need the stringer, but I need the stringer for the other racket,” Nadal explained, per Eurosport. After the match, Nadal described the racket snafu as a “funny situation.”

Famously superstitious tennis champion Rafa Nadal has halted play in his opening match of the Australian Open after a ball boy made off with his tennis ...

I think I am humble enough to accept that situation and just work with what I have today. I need to build again this confidence with myself with victories. 'I need to build again all this momentum. 'Goodness me, that's a big mistake and he knows. Fellow commentator John Fitzgerald saw the serious side of it, though. As his search got more and more frantic Nadal realised that the ball boy had taken his racquet during the break between sets

It was when Jack Draper got back to the locker room that he felt the full pain of trying to overhaul Rafael Nadal, deep muscular cramps gripping his ribs.

That had been his undoing in the first set, playing a few ill-judged drop shots when he was otherwise matching a player he grew up idolising. ' I almost felt at the beginning of the third that my tennis was right there. This was the seventh time in eight matches that he has lost when it has gone beyond two and a half hours. I had two viral infections so had to be on antibiotics on two occasions. I am happy that I was able to win against a great player.' Cramp wrecks Jack Draper's brave bid to oust Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Australian Open...

On day one of the Australian Open 2023, Rafael Nadal won his opening match against Britain's Jack Draper at Rod Laver Arena. The Spaniard has now advanced ...

He went on to say it was “no problem at all” as the ball boy picked the racquet that he was “ready to play with”. He further exclaims, “I need the racquet back…I need the dampener and everything”. During the game, Nadal can be heard explaining to the umpire that the racquet left on the bench was for the stringer and “not that one”.