(March 12, 2022) INDIAN WELLS, Californi – Rafael Nadal fought back from a two breaks down at 2-5 in the third set to stop up-and-coming young American Sebastian Korda 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (3) to reach the third round at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, while 2018 champion Naomi Osaka lost.

Nadal credited his fighting spirit for the victory: The reason why I have been fighting during all my tennis career or I have the right self-control or I have the right attitude and fighting spirit is because I grew up with this kind of education.”

“My uncle, my family, never allowed me to break a racket, never allowed me to say bad words or give up on a match, the most important thing was the fact that I grow up with the right values.”

“If people believe that I am a believer all the time that I am going to come back, not true. I am not like this. I don’t have this amazing self-confidence that even if I am 5-2, okay, I going to come back. No.

“But in my mind is, okay, is almost impossible. I don’t want to give up. I going to keep trying … just try to keep going and to put the things a little bit more difficult to the opponent.”

Korda served for the match at 5-2, and 5-4 but could not close it out.

“I thought I was lost today… and in Australia, very similar feeling,” Nadal said during his news conference. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to keep trying or keep fighting.

“Even if I think I’m going to lose the match, my mindset before returning that 5-2 game is, ‘OK, I am playing bad, I had two breaks, but even if I’m going to lose, I’m going to try to finish the match having some better feelings.’ So I need to fight to find these better feelings in that last game.”

Nadal is playing in his first Indian Wells tournament since 2019.

Shaken by a heckler after the opening game, Naomi Osaka lost 6-0, 6-4 to Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday night. A woman in the stands yelled: “Osaka, you suck.”

Afterward she lost the match the woman who represents Japan addressed the crowd with visible tears streaming down her face.

“To be honest, I’ve gotten heckled before, like it didn’t really bother me, but heckled here,” she said.

Osaka talked about how she remembered how Williams sisters were heckled by fans at Indian Wells in 2001 and both Venus and Serena boycotted the tournament for many years.

Osaka came into the tournament ranked at No. 78. She took time off for her mental health part of 2021 and as a result did not compete in as many tournaments. In 2022 Osaka lost in the third round of the Australian Open.

More to follow…

(March 12, 2022) INDIAN WELLS, California: Rafael Nadal fought back from a two breaks down at 2-5 in the third set to stop up-and-coming young American Sebastian Korda 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (3) to reach the third round at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, while 2018 champion Naomi Osaka lost.

Nadal credited his fighting spirit for the victory: The reason why I have been fighting during all my tennis career or I have the right self-control or I have the right attitude and fighting spirit is because I grew up with this kind of education.”

“My uncle, my family, never allowed me to break a racket, never allowed me to say bad words or give up on a match, the most important thing was the fact that I grow up with the right values.”

“If people believe that I am a believer all the time that I am going to come back, not true. I am not like this. I don’t have this amazing self-confidence that even if I am 5-2, okay, I going to come back. No.

“But in my mind is, okay, is almost impossible. I don’t want to give up. I going to keep trying … just try to keep going and to put the things a little bit more difficult to the opponent.”

Korda served for the match at 5-2, and 5-4 but could not close it out.

“I thought I was lost today… and in Australia, very similar feeling,” Nadal said during his news conference. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to keep trying or keep fighting.

“Even if I think I’m going to lose the match, my mindset before returning that 5-2 game is, ‘OK, I am playing bad, I had two breaks, but even if I’m going to lose, I’m going to try to finish the match having some better feelings.’ So I need to fight to find these better feelings in that last game.”

Nadal is playing in his first Indian Wells tournament since 2019.

Shaken by a heckler after the opening game, Naomi Osaka lost 6-0, 6-4 to Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday night. A woman in the stands yelled: “Osaka, you suck.”

Afterward she lost the match the woman who represents Japan addressed the crowd with visible tears streaming down her face.

“To be honest, I’ve gotten heckled before, like it didn’t really bother me, but heckled here,” she said.

Osaka talked about how she remembered how Williams sisters were heckled by fans at Indian Wells in 2001 and both Venus and Serena boycotted the tournament for many years.

Osaka came into the tournament ranked at No. 78. She took time off for her mental health part of 2021 and as a result did not compete in as many tournaments. In 2022 Osaka lost in the third round of the Australian Open.

More to follow…