A handful of ATP World Tour legends have had a stadium named in their honour long after their playing days, but Rafael Nadal received that recognition while still at the top of his game at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Nadal took part in a special court naming ceremony on Wednesday that officially crowned the stadium Pista Rafa Nadal. The nine-time champion also scored a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 second-round victory that day over Rogerio Dutra Silva. "I want to thank the club for this honour. It's one of the most important tournaments for me, one of the courts where I had the best moments of my career,” said Nadal. "This place has meant a lot to me and the club...
Rafael Nadal's quest for a record 10th Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell title started with a dominating performance on Wednesday in the Spanish city. Nadal, playing on the newly-named Pista Rafa Nadal, hit 23 winners and dismissed Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-1, 6-2 in 75 minutes. “I want to thank the club for this honour. It's one of the most important tournaments for me, one of the courts where I had the best moments of my career,” Nadal said on court after the second-round victory. “This place has meant a lot to me since forever, and [that] the club has decided to name the centre court with my name makes it even more special.” The third-seeded Spaniard had all of his...
Watch highlights of Rafael Nadal, Feliciano Lopez and Roberto Bautista Agut advancing on Wednesday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Watch live matches at tennistv.com. Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell photo.
Watch Hot Shot as Rafael Nadal and Rogerio Dutra Silva cover plenty of ground at the 2017 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Watch live matches at tennistv.com. Photo: Getty Images
In what has been a career full of frameable moments, years from now, Sunday afternoon should still stand out to Rafael Nadal. It could also prove to be the launch pad to his return to year-end World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. His 10th Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters crown. His 29th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. His 43rd “Big Title”, which inches him closer to longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. But Nadal's first title of 2017 might only be part of the prelude to what could be one of the Spaniard's best years on the ATP World Tour. Nadal is currently second in the Emirates ATP Race To London, a calendar-year points race that started in...
