"Every time I play with Rafael Nadal, I always play really well after that" - Cameron Norrie
Rafael Nadal's impact on his opponents can be assessed by Cameron Norrie's recent statement. The British tennis star stated that whenever he plays against Nadal, his next few matches yield good results.
With the 2023 Barcelona Open beginning today (April 17), Norrie recalled his quarter-final match against the Spaniard in 2021. It was just the second tour-level meeting between the two, with Nadal claiming an easy win in straight sets (6-1, 6-4).
The match was played on Centre Court, which was renamed to Pista Rafa Nadal in 2017, in honor of the tournament's most successful champion - 12 titles. Speaking to ATPTour.com, Norrie called it a special moment in his career.
"That was special, obviously, playing him on Pista Rafa Nadal," Norrie said. "I think that was maybe the first time or the second time I played him. To play him the first time on clay, to play him here — and the court is named after him — was pretty special and he played too good."
In head-to-head records, Nadal leads 4-1 against Great Britain's No. 1 player. Norrie added that his level tends to increase whenever he squares off against the 22-time Grand Slam champion which shows in his next few matches.
"Every time I play with Rafa, I always play really well after that. Playing at that level, I think the matches following that always have good results. So I'm missing him. I need to see him back on tour soon."
Yet to recover from a hip injury that he picked up at the 2023 Australian Open, former World No. 1 Nadal withdrew from the ATP 500 tournament last week.
"Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it's my adopted club, and playing on home soil always evokes a unique feeling. However, I'm not yet fully prepared, and I'm currently in the process of preparing myself for my return to competition," Nadal wrote.
Rafael Nadal will be ready for French Open 2023, says tennis coach
Rafael Nadal has struggled with multiple injuries since winning the 2022 French Open. He hasn't played a match since January this year and Roland Garros is just 40 days away.
However, Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratolgou is not worried and believes that the Spaniard will be ready for his favorite tournament.
“He has only one goal — to win more Grand Slams than anyone else," Mouratoglou said. "He knows his first chance is Roland Garros and I think he said to himself that he wanted to arrive in Paris in the best possible shape. But it's getting more difficult every year because his body is very worn, more than other players. He gives 1000% in training and in matches."
"This means his annual playing time is decreasing every year. I think his goal remains Roland-Garros, which is why he has been preparing for a long time on clay. He will be in good shape tennis-wise. Will he be physically fit? I can't say. It will depend on how he manages his injuries. He will have to play a few games, but I'm not really worried about him. He will be ready for Roland‐Garro," he added.
Quite a few videos have surfaced online in which Nadal can be seen practicing on clay at his academy.