Rafael Nadal loses fourth consecutive match for first time since 2009, as ATP Finals hopes slip away

PRESS CONFERENCE: Rafael Nadal, after an 0-2 start at the ATP Finals

Homework plus match play. This is the equation that has long added up to success for Rafael Nadal. His respect for the game runs so high that Nadal often sounds as if he would be insulting tennis and anyone who plays it when he is unable to run this sequence as much as desired. Were Nadal a college student, he would be offended by the idea of last-minute cramming.

Based on that gestalt, Felix Auger-Aliassime’s 6-3, 6-4 round-robin win over Nadal on Tuesday at the ATP Finals was not surprising. Historic, yes: It was the 22-year-old’s first win over the great Spaniard. But when you apply Nadal’s approach to tournament play, Auger-Aliassime had everything in his favor. This was only Nadal’s third singles match since the US Open, an autumn hiatus that included the birth of his son and recovery from a physically taxing year.

“Experience what's going on today—‘today’ I mean the last couple of weeks on the court—is not a big surprise. That not mean that I am not sad about the results. It's something that can happen, no?”

In contrast, Auger-Aliassime has had as busy a fall as you can imagine. Following a second-round loss at the US Open, Auger-Aliassime has played 22 matches, plus two more in Laver Cup. Notably, he won three straight tournaments over the month of Octover, a prolific level of success typically associated with Nadal’s clay-court season.

“It's obvious he had a great season when you are in the ranking he is today,” said Nadal, “and winning a couple of tournaments in a row, is because he is doing a lot of things very well.”

Said Auger-Aliassime, “I think it helps, of course, that I’ve been playing better, and he hasn’t had a lot of matches, a lot of wins in the last part of the year.”

All that said, there remained the business of the matchup. Auger-Aliassime had form on his side, but as a Spanish journalist once told me, Nadal is simply Nadal. Those words came in Nadal’s teens. Since then, of course, the aura has been earned, one incredible result after another adding to Nadal’s reputation as tennis’ premier competitor.

When you’re about to step on the court against a guy like him, you never know. There’s always an uncertainty. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Another plotline of interest: Since April 2021, Auger-Aliassime has been working with Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal. One wonders how Toni has informed Auger-Aliassime. Emotional? Tactical? Asked today about Toni’s input, Auger-Aliassime said, “Nothing really special. More just for me to try to give my best effort, to feel like I did everything I could when I step out of the court, win or lose. That's the most important for him and for us on the team.”

But certainly, something clicked earlier this year, when Auger-Aliassime extended Nadal to five sets in the round of 16 at Roland Garros.

Turin is just under 500 miles from Paris—and in tennis terms, light years distant. On a fast, low-bouncing indoor court, Auger-Aliassime showed all the sharp focus and crisp ball-striking that has made him the hottest man in tennis over the last six weeks. In the first set, Auger-Aliassime hit seven aces and won 18 of 19 points on his first serve. That kind of tennis helped him fight off a pair of break points in the opening game of the match, and another two when serving at 3-3, 15-40—both rallies capped off by forehand winners.

“With this surface, playing against big servers, great players, yeah, nothing to complain,” said Nadal, “just to accept that it’s what we have today: opponent in another situation playing better the key points.”

While Auger-Aliassime was dialed-in, Nadal struggled. The 36-year-old’s unsurpassed willpower grappled with his competitive rust Serving in the first set at 3-4, 40-love, Nadal lost three straight points, two with double faults. Holding another game point, Nadal’s racquet decelerated drastically as he netted a backhand. His customary timing off-kilter, at break point a Nadal down-the-line forehand flew long. This happened again when Auger-Aliassime served at 5-3, 40-15.

You’d have to have occupied another galaxy for nearly 20 years to not know how much tenacity Nadal would bring to the start of the second set. But as this match proved repeatedly, will often trails skill. Serving at 1-1, ad out, Nadal served and volleyed, stumbled as he made his way forward and subsequently misfired with his forehand volley. These are not the kind of errors typically seen from Nadal’s racquet.

Tennis being tennis, Nadal being Nadal, Auger-Aliassime in pursuit of a big win, matters remained tense.

“When you’re about to step on the court against a guy like him, you never know,” said Auger-Aliassime. “There’s always an uncertainty.”

With Nadal serving at 1-3, Auger-Aliassime held a break point, only to hit a forehand long. Nadal eventually held. As often happens, momentum switched slightly, Nadal in the next game reaching break point courtesy of a tentative Auger-Aliassime volley and a netted forehand. Naturally, the crowd began to cheer quite loudly. But Auger-Aliassime hit a wide service winner, followed by an ace and a long Nadal return.

Experience what's going on today—‘today’ I mean the last couple of weeks on the court—is not a big surprise. Rafael Nadal

That challenge met, Auger-Aliassime continued to remain impressively focused and in control, one serve after another putting him in charge of the rallies. Serving for the match at 5-4, Auger-Aliassime quickly went ahead 30-love, laced another forehand winner at 30-15, and then closed it out with a sharp service winner down the T.

Back now to arithmetic. This was Nadal’s fourth straight loss, the first time that’s happened since 2009. If Casper Ruud wins a set in tonight’s round-robin match against Taylor Fritz, Nadal will be eliminated from semifinal contention. For all he's accomplished throughout his career, Nadal has never won the ATP's season-ending championship.

It was also Auger-Aliassime’s first win at the tournament—significant for many reasons.

“It’s nice to say that I was able to beat him finally, then also at this tournament, which is not like I beat him at a lower-level tournament,” said Auger-Aliassime. “It was an important win for me in this tournament to stay alive and to keep going.”