Rafael Nadal’s return at the Barcelona Open has been brought to an end after two matches. The 37-year-old Spaniard battled hard against Alex de Minaur but ultimately did not have enough in the tank to prevail in this clay-court encounter against the world No 11 from Australia.
This was a tougher test than his first match since his return on Tuesday. While Nadal produced a solid performance to win his opener in straight sets, he was largely handed it on a plate thanks to 42 unforced errors by his inexperienced 21-year-old opponent, Flavio Cobolli, the world No 62 from Italy.
De Minaur, 25, is a far more formidable prospect. Renowned as one of the fastest players on the tour, he withstood a Nadal fightback to
