Google News Rafael Nadal shares thoughts after surprise defeat in his first match of 2023 season
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Rafael Nadal refused to be negative after losing his first match of the 2023 season, insisting it "was not a disaster." Nadal, 36, suffered a surprise defeat at the United Cup on Saturday as 14th-ranked Cameron Norrie recovered from a set down to beat the Spaniard 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Nadal claimed the first break of the match in the sixth game and then held on to his serve the rest of the set to win the opener. After losing the first set, Norrie bounced back in the second set as he earned his first break in the sixth game and held on to his serve the rest of the set to force a decider.
In the decider, Norrie broke Nadal in the fifth game and that break was enough for him to complete a big comeback win.
Nadal refuses to be negative after losing to Norrie
“Well, was not a disaster at all. I can do things, of course, better, and I need to do it.
I need to be a little bit faster physically, a little bit more solid, some less mistakes and making better decisions at some point, playing a little bit longer. It’s all the credit to him that he did a lot of things very well.
In my case, I think there is a way to improve, but I have time before the Australian Open starts in two weeks," Nadal said after the loss, per Tennis Majors. Meanwhile, Norrie defeated Nadal for the first time in his career.
Previously, Nadal defeated Norrie on four occasions. Not only that Nadal defeated Norrie in their first four matches, but the Spaniard also did it without losing a set. After beating Nadal for the first time, Norrie admitted his first goal was to win a set against the Spaniard.
“It was pretty crazy. I was thinking I’d never won a set before [against Nadal] and I came out firstly wanting to do that," Norrie said after beating Nadal.
