Staff Reporter.
Rafael Nadal is out of the Italian Open after he was defeated in straight sets by Hubert Hurkacz in Rome on Saturday.
In what is likely to be the Spaniard’s final appearance in Rome, Nadal was comfortably beaten 6-1 6-3 by the big-serving Pole in just 93 minutes.
Nadal, a 10-time winner in the Italian capital, has indicated that 2024 is likely to be his final season before retirement.
Should that be the case, he will retire with 70 wins in Rome and just nine defeats.
“Playing Rafa is something special,” said Hurkacz. “He’s just bigger than the sport at the end of the day.”
Elsewhere, Polish world number one Iga Swiatek booked her place in the women’s last 16 with a 6-3 6-4 win over Yulia Putintseva.
Swiatek came from 4-1 down in the second set to extend her winning streak to eight matches, and will take on Angelique Kerber in the next round after her straight-set win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
“I needed to get my focus together,” Swiatek said. “I know that I can play good tennis because I did it in the first set. So I just wanted to come back to being solid and really work for the points, because, she’s really changing the rhythm, so it’s not easy to play against her.”
Having won the Madrid Open last week, Swiatek is attempting to become the first woman to win the “dirt double” since Serena Williams in 2013. She is already a two-time Rome champion.
Naomi Osaka has still not dropped a set in the tournament so far after beating Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-3.
The Japanese former world number three plays the winner of Linda Noskova and Qinwen Zheng next.
Also, Paula Badosa rallied past Diana Shnaider 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round at a WTA 1000 event for the first time since her quarterfinal appearance in Rome last year.