Rafael Nadal says start to year 'infinitely better' than expected after equalling best run with 11th straight win

Rafael Nadal is on a roll — a near career-best roll. The 21-time Grand Slam champion beat Denis Kudla in his opening match of the Mexican Open on Tuesday to equal his best-ever start to a season. With victory at the Melbourne Summer Set and Australian Open, Nadal is now 11-0 for the year.

Ad/> He also won 11 matches in a row to start the 2014 season before losing to Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open final. ATP AcapulcoZverev beats Brooksby at 4.55am to set record for latest-ever finishYESTERDAY AT 14:46 He has the chance to set a new personal best when he faces Stefan Kozlov in the second round in Acapulco. “The start of the year has been infinitely better than I could ever have imagined,” said Nadal ahead of the tournament.

“Winning in Australia was deeply satisfying. Not so much because of reaching 21 Grand Slams, but because it came at a very difficult time for me.” Zverev apologises after attacking umpire's chair with racquet Murray says Zverev was 'dangerous and reckless' Murray beaten by Sinner in Dubai Nadal was doubtful to even compete at the Australian Open after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier in the year. He was also returning from a foot injury that kept him out for the last five months of 2021.

But he showed no signs of rust in Melbourne and again looked sharp in his opener in Acapulco as he beat Kudla 6-3 6-2. Nadal dropped just four points on serve in the match and is now 21-2 at the tournament, having won the title in 2005 and 2013. All 21 of his wins have been in straight sets.