Lob and Smash
Fansided

Barcelona Open: Watch Rafael Nadal Celebrate Per Usual

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

The clay court season is upon us and that means Rafael Nadal is back at some of his favorite tournaments. He wins the Barcelona Open.

Rafael Nadal is once again the champion in men’s singles at the Barcelona Open. Winning the 2018 tournament, Nadal is now an 11-time champion at the ATP World Tour 500 Series event. He defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–2, 6–1 in the finals.

As is tradition for the Spanish superstar, he took a running dive into the pool afterward.

The world No. 1 is playing better than ever right now. Taking some time away from the 2018 ATP World Tour in recent weeks to address an ongoing leg injury, Nadal has bounced back better than ever. He was all smiles at the Barcelona Open this week, fighting through a competitive field of players in men’s singles tennis. Nadal must be considered the heavy favorite as we rapidly approach action at the French Open. It seems as though the Grand Slam is Nadal’s to lose.

Next: 2018 French Open Favorites

Rafael Nadal is THE player to beat on the 2018 ATP World Tour.

Other players to watch at the French Open include Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, David Goffin, Marin Cilic, and Alexander Zverev among others. The field is deep in men’s singles tennis right now. Several veterans such as Djokovic are making returns from injury and attempting to reestablish themselves on tour. Others, such as Kei Nishikori, have found their rhythm in recent months but still need some fine tuning for something as big as the French Open. Any competitor needs to be at his absolute best when taking on Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal. If the world No. 1 can defend his title at Roland Garros, it will be his 11th title at the event. He is coming off of back to back wins at both the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open right now. Roger Federer is away from the courts for the clay season and the tour is Nadal’s for the taking given his absence. Stay tuned to see if the King of Clay can keep up his current pace.

Home/ATP