Rafael Nadal explains why he took Stefanos Tsitsipas clash in exhibition so 'seriously'

Rafael Nadal says the opportunity to get a “real workout” was the reason for the seriousness of his performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Saturday. In their final matches of 2019, Nadal and Tsitsipas played out an entertaining three hours and 12-minute contest.

And it was the world No 1 who came out on top to win the exhibition for the fifth time.

But despite the relaxed nature of the tournament, both played with the intensity of a Grand Slam final.

Nadal will now spend Christmas at home in Mallorca with his family before flying to Australia for the inaugural ATP Cup.

And the Spaniard says the match was an important indicator for the season ahead.

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He told Spanish publication AS: “I’ve trained all my life. I took it as a serious tournament and the others, too.

“Tsitsipas left everything on the track and demonstrates his anger at a moment in the final.

“It is the unofficial competition that we all take more seriously, because of the proximity of the new season, because it is a good test to know how you are.

“For me it was an opportunity to do a real workout.”

“I was never allowed, neither my uncle Toni nor anyone in my environment, to break a racket or have an attitude that was not appropriate on the track.

“They didn’t let me do that since I was a child.

“When I grew up, it was I who didn’t allow it.”

source: express.co.uk