Many tennis fans were very disappointed to see Rafael Nadal lose his Cincinnati Masters round one match to Borna Coric, but the Spaniard did not forget about the support.
After an incredible start to the 2022 season, the 22-time Grand Slam champion faced a lot of painful moments in recent months. The pain was quite literal, as he battled through it to win his 22nd major at the 2022 Roland Garros, and it was the pain that also forced him to withdraw from the Wimbledon semifinals.
More than a month after that, the Spaniard entered his first tournament since the grass-court Grand Slam at the All England Club, and it was the ATP 1000 event in Cincinnati.
After receiving a bye in the first round as the second seed, Nadal took on Croatia's Borna Coric in the second round of the tournament after the Croat overcame qualifier Lorenzo Musetti in his opening match at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters.
The Western & Southern Open had a fantastic atmosphere, with fans delighted to see Nadal back in Cincinnati after a five-year absence. However, the Spaniard didn't play at his best, losing to Borna Coric and earning an early flight to New York.
The Croatian player proved to be better in a three-hour fight, which he has won 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3, and he didn't have to battle just his opponent, but also the crowd, since Nadal as a global icon has unwavering support of the fans around the globe.
After the match, the 22-time major winner still stopped by the crowd waiting for him as he left. The touching exchange between Nadal and his fans was caught on camera, and it was a stark contrast to the fan interaction between Daniil Medvedev and fans in Montreal, who were very rude to the Russian. Check out the video below.
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