Rafael Nadal kicked off his ATP Finals 2020 campaign with a resounding win against debutant Andrey Rublev. The Spaniard raced to a straight-sets victory in a match that lasted close to 80 mins.

Having won five titles this year, Rublev was expected to challenge the heavyweights at the ATP Finals. But Nadal’s experience helped him navigate the young Russian.

Nadal lost just eleven points on serve in the whole match. In fact, he didn’t face a single break point. The match was won by limiting errors, and Rublev was broken at crucial times, with his unforced errors tally being double than Nadal’s. In the end, the scorecard read- 6-3, 6-4.

After the match, Nadal gave a short review of his match and acknowledged a tougher clash ahead against Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I was happy about the way I approached the match. I didn’t suffer much with my serve. It is only a start. I still have to face Dominic and Stefanos,” Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal on facing Dominic Thiem next at ATP Finals 2020

Further speaking on his next opponent, Thiem, Nadal lauded the Austrian and expects a stiff challenge tomorrow.

“He is a great player and he improves every year. He is one of the guys on the tour who deserves all the success. It is going to be a tough challenge. I hope that today‘s victory helps,” Rafa said, looking forward to clashing with Thiem.

Nadal was drawn into a tough ‘Group London 2020’. He finds himself with last year’s finalists Thiem and Tsitsipas and the promising debutant Rublev. With Rublev dispatched, bigger challenges lie ahead for the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Nadal’s next opponent, Thiem, played out a thriller against Tsitsipas last night. In a repeat of last year’s final, Thiem was able to take revenge and beat the defending champion. Both of them were on par with one another but Thiem was a little more resilient and staked his claim for the tour finals title.

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The last time Rafa Nadal made it out of the group stage was back in 2015. Moreover, his last final appearance came way back in 2013 where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Will Nadal’s search for a maiden ATP Finals title end this year?