Watch: Rafael Nadal greets fans on his way out after losing in Cincinnati R2
While the tennis world was thrilled about Rafael Nadal's first match since Wimbledon, the joy among his fans was short-lived as the Spaniard lost to Borna Coric in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
The rollercoaster of a three-set match saw the 152nd-ranked Croatian defeat the 22-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 51 minutes. Former World No. 12 Coric now leads the head-to-head 3-2 against the 36-year-old.
Although it was a highly disappointing outing for the World No. 3, given this was his last tournament before the US Open, Nadal, like always, patiently signed autographs and clicked photos with fans before leaving the stadium. Fans didn't hesitate to show their love for one of the greatest players in the game, as he was greeted with chants of "Rafa, Rafa."
One of the spectators shared a video on social media, writing:
"Rafa leaving #cincytennis, always kind and generous to fans and receiving lots of love back."
and receiving lots of love back!Rafa leaving #cincytennis, always kind and generous to fans ❤️ and receiving lots of love back! https://t.co/rcdTtD226m
During his Wimbledon quarterfinal clash with Taylor Fritz last month, Nadal aggravated his abdominal injury. After slowing down significantly in that match and adjusting his game, the Spaniard pulled off a miraculous five-set win. However, he announced his withdrawal from the event the next day, as reports suggested a 7mm abdominal muscle tear.
After failing to completely recover from the injury, the Mallorcan had to pull out of the Canadian Open last week as well.
During his Cincinnati match against Coric, second seed Nadal looked rusty, hitting seven double faults and as many as 23 unforced errors over three sets. The Spaniard will quickly need to find his groove for the US Open, which starts on August 29.
"You lose, you move forward" - Rafael Nadal after crashing out of Cincinnati
Out of his 13 appearances at the Western & Southern Open, Rafael Nadal was able to lift the trophy just once when he beat John Isner in straight sets in the 2013 summit clash. The Cincinnati Masters remains one of the least successful events of the Spaniard's career.
Precious few men have a winning record against Rafael Nadal. Borna Coric, welcome to the very small club
Tonight in Cincy, he wins in deeply impressive fashion 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3 in Nadal's first match since Wimbledon https://t.co/jjdQQYcVbA
In a press conference after his exit at the hands of Coric, the four-time US Open champion admitted that his game needed to improve and that he hoped to be ready for the final Major of the season.
"I need to improve, I need to practice, and I need to return better," Nadal said. "You lose. You move forward. I know the way. The main thing for me is to stay healthy. Have been a difficult injury to manage, to be honest. I need to start being in the Grand Slam mode, practicing the way that I need to practice to be competitive since the beginning and I hope I will be able to make that happen."