Rafael Nadal's Barcelona Open campaign ends early with straight sets loss to Alex De Minaur

Rafael Nadal's comeback in the Barcelona Open made heads turn. While he moved past his opponent with ease in the first round, the Spaniard ended his campaign early with a straight sets loss to Alex De Minaur in the second round on Thursday (April 17). Nadal was tested by the Australian all throughout the contest and eventually lost 5-7, 1-6 to bow out of the clay court competition.

In a match that lasted under two hours, Nadal's fitness was tested by De Minaur by virtue of the latter'sagility and strategic use of drop shots. The former world number one did give a fight in the opening set but lost 5-7. However, the second set was a one-sided affair as the Australian's momentum only grew stronger, where he achieved a double break lead and showcased an impenetrable service game. With this, he made sure Nadal was unable to score a single point on hisserves.

Following this win, De Minaur improved his overall head-to-head record versus Nadal, as he now trails the legendary player 2-3. Moreover, the 25-year-old achieved a huge feat of becoming the first-ever Australian to defeat Nadal on clay court. The Aussie will now lock horns witheither the 16th seed Arthur Fils or German contender Daniel Altmaier in the next round.

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For Nadal, even though he bowed out of the Barca Open in the second round itself, his dominance in the competition remains unparalleled, comprisinga remarkable record of 67-5 across 17 editions of the tournament. Coming from a lengthy injury layoff, not much was expected of him but he would be disappointed to have exited in the Round of 32 itself with the French Open not far away.

Notably, the 37-year-old has made a direct entry into the forthcoming Roland Garrosvia protected ranking.