"I can do much better than I did today" - Rafael Nadal rues poorer-than-expected display in Italian Open 1R despite win

Rafael Nadal analyzed his first-round triumph at the 2024 Italian Open and shared his dissatisfaction with the performance. Nadal defeated World No. 108 Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Rome on Thursday.

Despite a slow start, the Spaniard displayed trademark resilience to beat the Belgian and book his spot in the second round.

After the match, the Spaniard weighed in on his triumph at his on-court interview, stating that his "on and off" performance did not meet his expectations and believed that he is capable of putting in a much-better display.

“That wasn’t my best match. I was practicing better than how I played today, without a doubt. But I found a way to win. That’s so important at the start of a tournament. My game is more unpredictable than before. I didn’t play much tennis for the last 2 years. Up and down, on and off, but I think I can do much better than how I did today.”

"I think I can do much better than I did today and hope I can do it in the next round," Nadal said.

The Italian Open is Nadal's third tour-level event in a row. The 10-time champion in Rome was coming off a loss to Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open last week, before which he reached the second round of the Barcelona Open.

This fortnight, the 37-year-old will be looking to add a 11th Italian Open title to his cabinet, with his most recent title at the Masters 1000 event coming in 2021.

Rafael Nadal is set to face Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the 2024 Italian Open

Rafael Nadal in action at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2024 - Day Four

After the first-round triumph, Nadal will face seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the 2024 Italian Open. The Spaniard is 7-3 on the season and will be looking to carry his form in the second round against the Pole, in what will be the first meeting between the duo on the ATP Tour.

Hurkacz was granted a first-round bye in the main draw, and last reached the Round of 16 at the Madrid Open last week. A win against Hurkacz would pit Nadal against either Thiago Seyboth Wild or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round in Rome, with a potential clash against second seed Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.