Nadal lost two matches in a row against the Australian Open

Nadal's two defeats at the United Cup came under the same scenario. The number two player in the world won the first set 6-3, then lost the second two sets. Before Norrie, Nadal lost 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, and before De Minaur, the Spaniard lost 6-3, 1-6, 5-7. In the match against the Australian opponent, Nadal was sometimes only two points away from winning, when leading 5-4 and returning at 30-30 points in the last set. But from there, he let De Minaur win by 10 points and closed the match with a 7-5 victory in the third set.

The Spain - Australia match was almost only procedural in the United Cup, when the UK won the only place to continue in Group D. Before that, the UK team won Spain and Australia, respectively, to definitely take the lead in a group of three teams. 2023 is also the first year the United Cup men's and women's team event is held.

With Nadal, he is not worried to start the season with two defeats. The number two player in the world thinks that the opponents he encounters are all very strong, so the losses are acceptable. "I came very close to winning against two strong opponents," Nadal shared on January 2. "I need to move a little bit faster on the pitch. Last year, I also lost two games in Abu Dhabi before going to the Australian Open."

For the first time, Nadal has lost two matches in a row, after a string of four defeats extending from the US Open through the Paris Masters, then the ATP Finals 2022. He found himself playing well at various points in the past two matches, and everything did not go well. extreme but what the results reflect.

"If nothing goes wrong, I will go to Melbourne soon to prepare for the Australian Open," continued Nadal. "The first Grand Slam of the year is definitely a big challenge. I will be there soon, not only to prepare for the Australian Open, but also for the whole season."

Last year, Nadal was not in good shape when entering the Australian Open, but still won his second Grand Slam title at the beginning of the year, after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final.