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‘Rafa Sorry’ – Here’s Why Stefan Kozlov Apologized to Rafael Nadal After Defeating Grigor Dimitrov

Published 02/22/2022, 7:30 AM EST

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via Getty

On Tuesday, the world saw one of the longest matches of 2022 in Acapulco between Grigor Dimitrov and Stefan Kozlov. The match went on for over three hours. In the end, Kozlov won the match in three exhausting sets. Earlier, he was practicing with Rafael Nadal but had to leave his practice early as he got a sudden invitation to play a match against Dimitrov as a lucky loser. 

It seemed like his practice with Rafa paid off as the American won his match against Dimitrov. However, one interesting thing happened after the match, as he felt really sorry for leaving the practice session with Rafa. 

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Kozlov apologies to Rafael Nadal

At Acapulco, the round of 32 match between Grigor Dimitrov and Stefan Kozlov saw plenty of ups and downs. In the second set, the American suffered a massive cramp, crying in pain. However, after the doctor’s treatment, he was able to continue and win the match. 

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After 3 hours and 20 minutes, Kozlov won the match by 7-6, 5-7, 6-3. At the end of the match, Kozlov wrote a few words on the camera as an apology letter to Rafael Nadal. He wrote, “Rafa Sorry for Stopping Practice Today.” 

Interestingly, another funny thing happened while Kozlov was writing on the camera. He asked someone how many p’s there were in the word ‘Stopping.’

“Hey, is it one p or two p’s in this word?” Kozlov asked

Rafa is all set to play his first match after winning the Australian Open

21-time Grand Slam winner, Rafael Nadal is ready to play his first tournament at Acapulco after clinching his second Australian Open. Previously, Rafa has won this tournament three times and looking for his fourth one. Rafa will play against Denis Kudla of the USA in his first match. 

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via Reuters

Australian Open finalist, Daniil Medvedev, is also playing in this tournament. The Russian will definitely look to take his revenge against Rafa. However, he has to go through Benoit Paire first. Fans will hope for an Australian open final rematch, as the memory of that tremendous match is still pretty fresh.

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Apart from Medvedev and Rafa, Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and others are also playing at Acapulco.

Can Rafa win his fourth title in Mexico? Let us know in the comments.

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Debkinkar Maity

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Debkinkar Maity is a Tennis Author at EssentiallySports. His desire to become a sports journalist inspired him to take up a degree in journalism and mass communication, and he hasn't looked back ever since. Following the sport for over a decade now, Debkinkar has an ardent love for Roger Federer.
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