Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Masters 2024 made tennis enthusiasts unhappy. However, fans will be pleased to learn that Rafa is constantly training in Spain, preparing for the upcoming Barcelona Open 2024. Practicing with two students of the Rafael Nadal Academy for the ATP 500 tournament, the Spaniard is giving a once-in-a-lifetime experience to Naoya Honda and Jacopo Vasami.
Naoya Honda and Jacopo Vasami are two promising talents who train at the Rafael Nadal Academy. While Vasami hasn’t participated in any ITF tournament yet, the Italian got the opportunity to rally with Nadal when he was merely 15 years old.
Honda, the 18-year-old from Japan, has had a fairly successful stint at the ITF Junior level. Per ITF, Honda has a 68% career win rate – 78% on hard courts and 64% on clay courts. Merely two months ago, the Asian sensation even won his 5th ITF Junior Title.
Apart from making a push to play in the Barcelona Open 2024, Rafael Nadal is also utilizing his time wisely to mentor a few youngsters from his academy. With Coleman Wong already making a name for himself, the Raging Bull hopes that the two follow in the footsteps of academy alum Casper Ruud.
Casper Ruud, a Rafael Nadal Academy alum, is in the finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters 2024
No other alum of the Rafael Nadal Academy has arguably been as successful as Casper Ruud. Casper Ruud is a former World No.2 ranked player who has won 10 titles and made it to two Grand Slam finals appearances at the age of 25. Being a protégé of Rafael Nadal, who is regarded as the ‘King of Clay’, it isn’t surprising to learn that the Norwegian has a 68.4% success rate on clay court surfaces.
Further, Ruud has also had a great start to the 2024 clay court season, defeating the likes of Hubert Hurkacz, Ugo Humbert, and Novak Djokovic to reach the finals of the Mont -Carlo Masters 2024. Having a 1-0 head-to-head record against Tsitsipas on clay, a potential ATP Masters 1000 title win could be on the cards for Ruud on Sunday.
