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2021 Madrid Open QF Rafael Nadal vs. Alexander Zverev  4-6 4-6 

Rafa: “I had the match under control at the beginning, playing well for six games, probably playing better than him. In the 4-2, serving for 5-2, I had a disaster. Another bad game with my game from 30/0. Of course, playing against one of the best players of the world, under these circumstances, with this speed of the court, it is very difficult to still confident. I tried, is true that the serve was difficult to control today. Well done to him.”

“I’m leaving Madrid with an overall positive feeling, but at the same time with the ugly feeling of having played a match like this today against a great player. I think for most of the first set, I was playing better than him. And this is the negative part; while playing better than him in the first set, I still lost 6-4."

Rafael Nadal accepted the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award for all he achieved in 2020: not only a 13th French Open title and 20th Grand Slam championship, pulling level with his friend and rival Roger Federer, but also leading on one of the most impressive and significant Covid responses from any athlete. Nadal partnered with Pau Gasol, the former NBA star, to launch #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Greatest Victory), a campaign to encourage those within sport, starting in Spain, to lend their support to the Red Cross Responds campaign. 

Its aim was to raise €11million to help citizens who were in need during the pandemic, but in June 2020 Nadal announced that the money raised exceeded €14million.

He said: “Between us all, we have managed to do something important and beautiful. Not only the money raised, which exceeded €14m, but also the solidarity and teamwork shown during difficult times.”