WATCH: Rafael Nadal receives rousing applause from fans in Mexico before his match against Casper Ruud during Latin American exhibition tour
Rafael Nadal entered the court to a huge round of applause from a jam-packed crowd at the brightly-lit Plaza de Toros Mexico for the final match of his South American exhibition tour with Casper Ruud. The ATP World Nos. 2 and 3 ended a successful tour of South America on Thursday, where they thrilled spectators across six different venues.
Spectators inside the Plaza de Toros in Mexico City lined up to capture photos and videos of the moment Nadal entered the venue, loudly cheering for him. The Spaniard beat Ruud 7-6, 6-4 in the last match of the tour.
🥎¡APLAUSOS! 👏
Rafa Nadal y su presentación en el Tennis Fest en la Plaza de Toros México #CDMX 😎🥎 https://t.co/p3SSfR8ThI
The Spanish great spoke about the huge reception he received in Mexico, calling it a "spectacular" feeling. He went on to express his admiration for Mexico and the Mexicans, stating that he has always had memorable experiences during his past visits to Mexico. The 36-year-old Spaniard won the ATP Acapulco Open in Mexico earlier this year, the last of his winning streak of three consecutive titles at the start of the season.
"The reception of the people I feel is spectacular," Nadal said in a press conference after Thursday's match.
"It is a country where people know how to have fun, a happy country. And well, in all the places I have been in the country in Cozumel, Tulum, Playa Mujeres, and Acapulco, I have always been happy, I have always taken good memories of the places, but also of the people, of the food, of everything, and that always encourages me to come back," he added.
Rafael Nadal thrills crowds with four wins in five matches against Casper Ruud during exhibition tour
Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud started their Latin American tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they were also joined by former WTA stars Gabriela Sabatini and Gisela Dulko for a mixed doubles match. The touring duo then played in Santiago, Chile, before moving to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The next two venues on the schedule were Quito, Ecuador, and Bogota, Colombia, earlier this week, before the finale in Mexico City on Thursday.
The Spaniard and the Norwegian faced each other five times throughout the tour, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion winning four of those matches. Ruud's only win came in Quito, as he pipped his idol 6-4, 6-4. The two players will now enjoy some time off from tennis before kicking off their respective 2023 seasons in Australia in January.