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Rafael Nadal’s two most meaningful matches in 2018

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 23: Rafael Nadal of Spain waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after retiring injured during the fifth set in his quarter-final match against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day nine of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 23: Rafael Nadal of Spain waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after retiring injured during the fifth set in his quarter-final match against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day nine of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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Rafael Nadal
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 23: Rafael Nadal of Spain waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after retiring injured during the fifth set in his quarter-final match against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day nine of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

Rafael Nadal found himself entering the 2018 ATP World Tour as the top player in men’s singles tennis. Here’s a look at his performance so far.

Rafael Nadal leaves the Australian Open during the quarterfinals. Withdrawing due to injury in the fifth set of his match, all eyes are on the world No. 1 in the coming days.

Looking at his brief stint of tennis so far in 2018, Nadal’s opening round match and final match at Melbourne Park are the most telling of what’s to come. While Nadal has been dealing with a lingering knee injury, he did not appear to show signs of an issue in his Australian opener against Víctor Estrella Burgos.

Winning the match in straight sets, Nadal cruised to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win over the veteran Dominican tennis player. It looked as though we were witnessing the Rafa of old. Despite his withdrawal from the ATP Finals in London due to injury, many believed that he had take sufficient time away from the courts going into the Grand Slam.

The opening round performance brought the eyes of fans and players alike to the world No. 1. In 2017, he finished runner-up to friend and rival Roger Federer in the finals. Now, Nadal was looking to redeem last year’s performance and add yet another title to his resume. He would go as far as the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park though. Not seeing a finals run, his concluding match at the Australian Open is perhaps the most significant in his 2018 tour so far.

Facing Croatian tennis star Marin Cilic, Nadal looked for a shot at the semifinals.

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