Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay-court tennis, suffered a shocking defeat in the second round of the Rome Open on Saturday, raising concerns about his participation in the upcoming French Open. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the seventh seed, stunned Nadal with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory, casting doubt over the Spaniard’s ability to defend his record-breaking 14 titles at Roland Garros.
Nadal, who has struggled with injuries over the past two years, has previously stated that he will only play at the French Open if he feels competitive. His performance in Rome suggests that he may be facing an uphill battle to regain his former dominance on clay.
The 37-year-old Nadal looked out of sorts from the start, making uncharacteristic errors and struggling to match Hurkacz’s power and precision. Hurkacz, who did not drop a single service game, broke Nadal three times, including twice in the first set, which he took in just 26 minutes.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Hurkacz breaking Nadal in the third game and cruising to victory in 49 minutes. It was a stunning performance from Hurkacz, who has now defeated Nadal twice in their only two meetings.
Nadal’s defeat in Rome is a major setback for the Spaniard, who has won a record 22 Grand Slam titles. It remains to be seen whether he will recover in time for the French Open, which begins on May 22. If he does not participate, it would mark the first time since 2005 that Nadal has missed the tournament.
Hurkacz, meanwhile, will face Tomas Etcheverry in the third round of the Rome Open. The Pole will be looking to continue his impressive form and potentially reach his first Masters 1000 final.
