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Feliciano Lopez: how he matches up against Rafael Nadal

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 16: Feliciano Lopez of Spain serves in his first round match against Sam Querrey of the United States on day two of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 16: Feliciano Lopez of Spain serves in his first round match against Sam Querrey of the United States on day two of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) /
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Feliciano Lopez takes on top seeded Rafael Nadal first at the 2018 Mexican Open. Here’s how he fares against the world No. 2.

Feliciano Lopez is taking on Rafael Nadal at the Mexican Open on Tuesday. The 36-year-old Spanish tennis veteran does have a surprisingly solid record against Nadal. While he remains the underdog, Lopez has defeated Nadal in each of their last two meetings.

The kicker though, is that their previous two matches date back to 2014 and 2015 respectively. Lopez has a career singles record of 4-9 against the current world No. 2.

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One thing in Lopez’s favor is that Nadal is returning from time away due to injury. The Spanish superstar has been rehabbing a lingering leg issue. After his play at the Australian Open, it was obvious that Nadal needed to step away and address his leg injury more head-on. Now, the Mexican Open is where he makes his return to the 2018 ATP World Tour.

Feliciano Lopez has won the last two matches he played against Rafael Nadal. The world No. 2 does, however, remain the favorite.

Despite the experience that Lopez has against Nadal, one must consider the world No. 2 to be the heavy favorite. He is looking to get some serious playing time under his belt after making his return to the courts. Also on his mind could be the fact that Roger Federer recently surpassed him for the world No. 1 ranking. With the clay court season coming up, and the French Open right around the corner, Nadal is primed to breakout during this time of year.

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Nadal has a lot to play for this week in Acapulco, Mexico. He is a former two-time champion at the event and the top seed this year. He and Feliciano Lopez square off tonight at the 2018 Mexican Open and are sure to put on a spectacular match. All eyes are on Nadal as he makes his return from injury. With he and Federer dominating as of late, Nadal needs to maintain his stronghold atop the rankings. Several up and coming stars are making headlines in men’s singles tennis and could challenge the likes of Federer and Nadal in the coming months.

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