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As is becoming tradition, Rafael Nadal was the first tennis player to confirm his participation for the the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, which in 2020 will celebrate its 68th edition. The Majorcan tennis player, who now enjoys a few days of vacation after ending the season , for the fifth time in his career, as the best tennis player in the world rankings, will compete at the Real Club Tenis Barcelona-1899 (RCTB) tournament for the sixteenth time.

Nadal will be leading the tournament poster, which in the coming weeks will define the presence of other great tennis stars. Champion in 11 editions, the world number 1 will try to regain the title that in 2019 was won by the Austrian Dominic Thiem. 

Nadal's presence in the tournament once again demonstrates his firm commitment not only to the RCTB, his lifelong club, but to the city of Barcelona itself. The world number 1 has returned to the forefront in 2019 with four ATP titles, two of them Grand Slams (Roland Garros and the US Open), and with his crushing performance at the Caja Mágica to achieve his fifth victory in the Davis Cup.

David Ferrer, sports director of the tournament, cannot hide his satisfaction at the confirmation of his former rival. “Rafa's participation is very important for the tournament - he says - and this time it will be even more important because he will play to regain the title he did not win in 2019. I am personally proud to announce this news not only from the sporting point of view, but for many other reasons that make Rafa an exceptional athlete with a series of values ​​of all kinds that make him a role model. Having Rafa is a luxury that we have to know how to value.”

Rafael Nadal’s play is best illustrated by his 2019 victory at Flushing Meadows. Won in dramatic fashion — a close match contested over 4 hours and 49 minutes and concluded in a fifth set — Nadal exhibited all of his intensely athletic game. Time and time again, he’d shoot his frame across the baseline before sprinting back to center court as if drawn by an invisible force.

The way he moves appears innate, but in truth, Nadal is always focused on the nuances of his footwork. Specifically, he wants to ensure he isn't losing time transitioning back to the center of the court, whether to return a serve or to rally. Doing so requires him to efficiently pop back to the forefoot.