Out against De Minaur

Rafael Nadal against Alex De Minaur – LIVE from 4 pm

Rafael Nadal(Bild: APA/AFP/PAU BARRENA)

Rafael Nadal's last dance in Barcelona has come to an end after two rounds. The Spaniard had to concede defeat to Australian Alex De Minaur in two sets on Wednesday, losing 5:7 and 1:6.

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal was eliminated in the round of 16 of the ATP tournament in Barcelona on Wednesday. The twelve-time winner of the event lost 5:7, 1:6 to Alex de Minaur, making him the first Australian to beat Nadal on clay. Nadal, in turn, returned to the Catalan metropolis from an injury break of more than three months. After the match, Sebastian Ofner from Styria will play against Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece.

Nadal's opening victory on Tuesday in what will probably be his last Barcelona appearance against Italy's Flavio Cobolli alone saw him climb well over 100 places and will appear just outside the top 500 in the world rankings. The Iberian needs a place in the top 400 as of June 10 to secure his Olympic ticket. This is based on a new rule that favors two winners of Grand Slam tournaments. Dominic Thiem also seems to be hoping for this passage at the moment, but "just" one major title might not be enough for him.