It’s been 11 years since Rafael Nadal won his only title at the Cincinnati Open but no one has been able to forget the historic campaign. Recently, Tennis TV took to social media to recall the Spaniard’s incredible feat and shared the highlights from his run to the 2013 title victory.
The first highlight was from Rafa’s contest against Benjamin Becker in the Round 2 clash where the two can be seen indulging in a rally that ended with a furious and powerful double-handed backhand from Rafa, helping him earn the point.
It was followed by 2 highlights from his Round 3 clash against Grigor Dimitrov, both of which saw long rallies. While the Spaniard ended the first one with a drop shot, the second one fell in his favor as the ball dropped outside the court.
The third and fourth videos were regarding his quarter-final match against his greatest rival Roger Federer. It was the third consecutive defeat Nadal handed to Federer that year.
Both legends can be seen playing with their peak levels of agility, which just didn’t involve long rallies but smart moves as well. Though the Swiss maestro won the first set, the Spaniard bounced back by taking away the remaining 2.
He then met Tomas Berdych in the semi-final and beat him in straight sets. The highlights show how the 22-time Grand Slam champion beat the former Czech player through his speedy and powerful moves. This win promoted him to the final of the tournament where he met American John Isner.
Isner had earlier defeated Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro in the tournament, hence, promising a competitive contest to the 14-time Roland Garros champion. As expected, it was nothing but a fierce clash as the highlights prove. However, Rafa’s wittiness helped him get the better of the American by winning tiebreaks in both sets.
Fans were also left in awe of the nostalgic run Rafa had at the Cincinnati Open 11 years ago.
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Though Nadal never managed to win the ATP 1000 tournament again, his victory in 2013 proved that he isn’t a one-trick pony as he could manage to win on almost every court. The same year, he had also won Montreal Open and post his Cincinnati victory, went on to grab the US Open title as well. It was also an addition to the Spaniard’s legacy on the court as one of the greatest tennis players ever to have graced the game.
Although Jannik Sinner could not defend his Canadian Open title this year, he won the Cincinnati Open title. Perhaps, Sinner could take inspiration from Nadal’s 2013 feat and join him in the list of great players to complete the coveted double of winning the Cincinnati Open and the US Open title in the same season.
