KEY POINTS

  • Rafa Nadal lost the Indian Wells final Sunday
  • It was Nadal's first loss of the year
  • Nadal recently withdrew from Miami Open

Rafael Nadal has a three-week break before he is in action once again in the ongoing 2022 ATP season.

Nadal’s 20-match streak, which was his personal best, ended on Sunday as he lost to World No. 8 Taylor Fritz in the BNP Paribas Open final. It was Nadal’s first loss of 2022.

The 35-year-old Nadal, who was coming at the back of three consecutive titles, lost in straight sets to Fritz, the first American to win the Indian Wells trophy in California since 2001.

Rafael Nadal extended his unbeaten start to 2022 with a win over Dan Evans
Rafael Nadal ended his 20-match unbeaten streak by losing the Indian Wells final GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA via AFP / CLIVE BRUNSKILL

The next tournament on the ATP calendar is the Miami Open, which is scheduled to begin on March 23. While Nadal’s name was initially in the draw of the hard-court event, the 21-time Grand Slam winner recently withdrew from the tournament.

"Rafa will certainly be missed. He has so many fans here in South Florida, and we hope to see him back in Miami next year. We are fortunate to have an incredibly deep and talented player field and look forward to showcasing the new elements of the site and all the off-court activities our fans have come to love about this iconic event," Tournament Director James Blake told ATP about Nadal, who has a fine 40-12 record at Miami Open.

Nadal is set to begin his clay-court season with ATP 1000 Masters Monte-Carlo being his first destination. The King of Clay would want to do well before he begins his quest for a record 14th Roland Garros title. Last season, eventual champion Novak Djokovic defeated Nadal in the semi-final at French Open, handing the Spaniard his career’s only third loss at the tournament.

When will Monte-Carlo Masters 2022 begin?

Rolex Monte-Carlo tournament is scheduled to begin on April 10 and will go on till April 17.

When did Nadal last play at Monte-Carlo?

Nadal competed in the Monte-Carlo tournament last year where he lost the quarter-final to Andrey Rublev in three sets. The latter eventually lost the final to Stefonas Tsitsipas.

Spain's Nadal is the most successful player in the Monte-Carlo tournament, having won the title for a record 11 times. He also holds an Open-Era record eight successive titles between 2005 and 2012 at the tournament, which was founded 125 years ago.

RELATED STORIES