Rafael Nadal recorded a 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 win over Hugo Dellien on Tuesday in his first competitive match back at Rod Laver Arena since he lost the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic last year.
Rafa said after his match that he isn’t concerned about winning his 20th major.
“I don’t care about 20 or 15 or 16. I just care about [trying] to keep going, keep enjoying my tennis career. It’s not like 20 is the number that I need to reach. If I reach 20, fantastic,” Rafa said, raising his hands in the air. “If I reach 21, better. If I [stay at] 19? Super happy about all the things that I did in my tennis career, no?”
Rafa dropped a service game once in each of the first two sets but was too dominant for the 73rd-ranked Dellien, who was playing his first match at the season’s first major and had played only five previous matches in the main draw of a major.
“It’s a positive start,” Rafa said. “What you want in the first round is to win, and straight sets is better.”
Source: ESPN
Testing.
Vamos Rafa!
For me Rafa IS the best. He’s the one I really love for everything he does, his fierce competitiveness, his never say die attitude, his equally great kindness off the court. I love to see him win because it makes ME happy. I’m still glowing from last year!
Welcome back, I missed your updates. Good luck in the AO Rafa 😁🇬🇧xx
Well don Rafa good estar vamosssss champ you can do it😘❤️👍🎾😘❤️👍🎾
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!:) I WILL TRY TO RE WRITE: LOVE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MATCH PHOTOS AND A GREAT INTERVIEW!!!!!:) YOU HAVE IT!!!!!:) JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE YOUR PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY WITH DOORS WIDE OPEN FOR YOU!!!!!!!!:) ALL YOUR PRECIOUS COURT TIME IS FILLED WITH ALL YOUR SOLID GOODS!!!!!!!:) YOU HAVE YOUR MOMENT BY MOMENT INNER STRENGTH GOVERNED BY YOUR INSTINCTS AND YOUR MAGICAL KNOWING…..RIGHT THERE POINT BY POINT!!!!!!!!:) YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS AND GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!:) IT EAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE YOU MOVE AND SLIDE AND GLIDE WITH SUCH ENORMOUS PASSION AND DRIVE!!!!!!!!!:) GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) YOU ARE BEAUTIFULLY POWERFUL OUT THERE AND MAKES ZERO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU PLAY!!!!!!!!:) LOVE YOUR INNER PRECIOUS STRENGTH AND YOUR ON COURT MAGICAL STRONG PRESENCE!!!!!!!!!!:) YOU KNOW SWEETHEART WHO YOU ARE AND THAT PRECIOUS INNER KNOWING IS A BLESSING!!!!!!!:) YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED!!!!!:) CI…..CI…..CI……YOU ARE SO POLITE AND CLASSY AND A FORCE OF TENNIS GENIUS!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) KEEP SMILING…..KEEP TALL AND PROUD AND KEEP KNOWING YOU ARE MUCH LOVED AND RESPECTED ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!:) ENJOY EVERYTHING AND KEEP YOUR PRECIOUS GLADIATOR PRESENCE WITH EACH PRECIOUS POINT YOU PLAY!!!!!!:) VAMOS SWEETHEART AND LOTS OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!:) XOXOXOXOXO
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!:) FYI, LEFT TWO CARING SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS THIS EVENING FOR YOU:
…ONE HERE WHICH IS NOT POSTED, AND AFTERWORDS, SHORTER ONE LATER , ON THE NEXT SECTION…..WHICH GOT POSTED. ….
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!:) FYI, LEFT TWO SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS THIS EVENING FOR YOU:
…ONE HERE WHICH IS NOT POSTED, AND AFTERWORDS, SHORTER ONE LATER , ON THE NEXT SECTION…..WHICH GOT POSTED. ….
Good luck all the way Rafa!
Go Rafa Go ! AO No.2 is waiting for you.Good
Luck & Vamos RAFA
This is a test. Testing. Testing.
A steady start, Rafa. Keep cool, calm and energised.
Hurray! Normal service is resumed with the operators of this site. We missed your updates, but I had a feeling you were just taking a break and I was right. Welcome back!
Double welcome back!
Great start to AO. Stay healthy-various reports on air quality. All the best in next round.👍👏🤛👏🎾❤️
Well done, Rafa! I love your attitude as well.
Well done Rafa. All the best for the tournament ❤️
Welcome back, RafaelNadalFans! We’ve missed you! 🙂