WATCH: Spanish crowd applaud Rafael Nadal even after major loss in Barcelona Open

There might be a lot of legends in tennis but there is only one king of clay in tennis. Rafael Nadal has been one of the three leaders of the game of tennis with his powerful strokes on the tennis court. The Spanish legend has had one of the most decorated careers in the game with 22 grand out of which 14 have come on clay. It is safe to say that he will still go down as one of the iconic athletes in the game.

The Spaniard made his return to the clay season in the Barcelona Open and started off with a win. However, the next round saw El Nino suffer a massive defeat against Alex de Minaur in the second round of the tournament. It was not only the rare occasion that saw the king of clay lose on clay but also at his home ground where he has managed to win 12 titles as well.

Barcelona showing love to the hero

Even though it was not the outcome all the fans wanted to see when Nadal lost in two straight sets, there was still a round of applause from the audience. This was a gesture to show one of their greatest athletes the love and respect he deserves. This is a great example of how much love there is for the great athlete who has achieved all the big accolades in the game of tennis.

Watch the video below-

Rafael Nadal receives a heartwarming applause from the Spanish crowd after losing in straight sets to de Minaur 🎾 pic.twitter.com/KYwhfPpTZ1

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 17, 2024

This was still a positive approach from the fans who had seen a rare disappointing performance from the king himself. However, in the back of their minds, they will also know that all is not over for El Nino in the season as the French Open and the Olympics are coming up as well. There is still a chance for the 37-year-old legend to come back with great performances in the future. We all will be waiting for Nadal to feature in the next major tournament and finally get back to winning ways once again.