Lob and Smash
Fansided

Rafael Nadal, Ten-Time Champ, Opens Barcelona On Top

By Harry Floyd

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand against Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in their game during day three of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on April 25, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand against Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in their game during day three of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on April 25, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Rafael Nadal wins his opener at the 2018 Barcelona Open. The world No. 1 and Spanish superstar is also the defending champion at the event.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal defeats Roberto Carballés Baena 6-4 6-4 in his Barcelona opener this week. The Spanish superstar is a ten-time champion in men’s singles at the ATP World Tour 500 series event. He takes on another fellow countrymen in Guillermo García-López next at the tournament. García-López is coming off of a strong win over another previous Barcelona Open champion in Kei Nishikori.

The Japanese tennis star has been surging as of late and came into play this week as the No. 14 seed at the event. He falls, however, 3-6 in his first set before being forced to retire. His lingering wrist injury got in the way at Barcelona as he continues his return to competitive action.

Related Story: Top 10 All-Time Men's Tennis

Nadal moves on and will be the favorite throughout the entirety of the event. He is eyeing the 2018 French Open which is right around the corner. Last year, Nadal completed La Decima, winning his tenth career singles title at the Grand Slam. Roland Garros may as well be home to the Spanish superstar. He is easily the most dominant player at the French Open and ought to be considered the odds on favorite no matter who else is in the field. Others, such as Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, and Alexander Zverev among others, will look to upset Nadal.

As for action at the 2018 Barcelona Open, second seed Grigor Dimitrov also wins his opener. Djokovic, however, drops his match against Martin Kližan in three sets.

Next: 2018 French Open Favorites

The injuries of the past year may be getting the best of the Serbian great in his return. While he has managed several tournament appearances this year, he is not up to his regular speed just yet. The sixth seed this week, Djokovic will need to reevaluate his strategy on clay moving forward. He is a former champion at Roland Garros and, if healthy enough, can make a run at the upcoming Grand Slam. Check back to see if Rafael Nadal can defend his title at the Barcelona Open and to see how he fares throughout the upcoming weeks.

Home/ATP