Rafael Nadal mimics Real Madrid's come-from-behind UCL triumph; records 1050th career win

Rafael Nadal survived a scare against David Goffin at the Madrid Masters before dominating his British opponent 6-3 5-7 7-6 (9) in the fourth round. Rafael Nadal saved four match points by channelizing the never say die spirit of Real Madrid to progress into the next round. Before Rafael Nadal vs David Goffin took place, Real Madrid registered a comeback victory over Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final second leg.

Madrid Open: Rafael Nadal talks about channelling Real Madrid's fightback spirit

Rafael Nadal managed to save two of Goffin’s four match points with drop shots, and a third when the Belgian netted a short forehand from an attacking position. He said, “It was an unforgettable night. The spirit that the Real Madrid team has is just incredible. For me today, in some ways it has been an inspiration in the way I have been fighting all my tennis career". He added, “Honestly, it was a very tough match. I think I played at a very high level. But at the same time, I am not completely happy because I have to finish the match in straight sets, without a doubt.”

Rafal Nadal on Real Madrid's comeback victory against Manchester City 

It is pertinent to note that Rafael Nadal is a huge Real Madrid fan and while speaking at post-match press conference regarding the Spanish Giants' comeback win, the former World No 1 said, "It was an unforgettable night. The spirit that the Real Madrid team has is just incredible. For me today, in some ways it has been an inspiration in the way I have been fighting all my tennis career. I know how hard it is to lose this way so I feel sorry for them (City). But somehow for us, the supporters of Real Madrid, it was an incredible night.

Rafael Nadal career

With 36 ATP 1000 Masters titles, Rafael Nadal is second on the list, with only Novak Djokovic has won more (37). The Spanish player has registered the most number of career wins with 398 with Roger Federer second behind him having won 381 career matches. With his win in the AUS Open 2022 Nadal has now won 57 big titles, second only to Novak Djokovic (62). Rafael Nadal is also the only men's singles player to have won the Roland Garros title a record 13 times. With a win percentage of 97.2 at Roland Garros, Nadal claims the highest win rate at a Grand Slam event.