Rafael Nadal of Manacor, Spain has won the 2022 Mexican Open. On Saturday in Acapulco, Nadal, the number four seed, defeated Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, the number six seed in the final, 6-4, 6-4. This was Nadal’s 91st ATP title and third ATP title in 2022. He previously beat Maxime Cressy of the United States in the final of the Melbourne Summer Set, 7-6, 6-3, and then world number one Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the final of the Australian Open, 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
In the 2002 Mexican Open final, Nadal made the most of his break point opportunities. He had five break point chances, and broke Norrie’s serve four times.
In addition to beating Norrie in Mexico this week, Nadal beat Denis Kudla of the United States, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round, Stefan Kozlov of the United States, 6-0, 6-3 in the second round, Tommy Paul of the United States 6-0, 7-6 in the quarterfinals, and Medvedev in an Australian Open final rematch in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-3. Kozlov and Kudla were both lucky losers and represented the United States even though they were not born in America. Kozlov is originally from Skopje, North Macedonia, and Kudla is originally from Kiev, Ukraine.
Nadal’s previous Mexican Open titles came in 2005 (beat fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes in the final, 6-1, 6-0), in 2013 (beat another fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the final, 6-0, 6-2), and in 2020 (beat Taylor Fritz of the United States in the final, 6-3, 6-2). It should be noted that Nadal’s first two Mexican Open titles came on clay and the last two came on hard court. The Mexican Open changed its surface from clay to hard court starting in 2014.
