WATCH: Nadal stops by fans as he leaves after losing in Cincinnati
ATP
Many tennis fans were very disappointed to see Rafael Nadal lose in his first match at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters 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 semi-finals.
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 Masters 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 Croatian player 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 Coric and earning an early flight to New York.
The Croatian player proved to be better in a three-hour fight, which he won 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3, and he didn't have to battle just his opponent but also the crowd since Nadal received plenty of support from the fans present at the tournament in Cincinnati.
After the match, the 22-time major winner still stopped by the crowd waiting for him as he left. The moment was caught on camera, and it was completely different than what Daniil Medvedev had to experience recently when he was heckled by fans when leaving the stadium at the Canadian Open.
