Rafael Nadal Thwarts Sebastian Korda To Win Indian Wells Opener

Rafael Nadal's never-say-die attitude stood him in good stead again Saturday, as the Spaniard crafted a third-set rally to beat Sebastian Korda at Indian Wells.

Rafael Nadal's never-say-die attitude stood him in good stead again Saturday, as the Spaniard crafted a third-set rally to beat Sebastian Korda at Indian Wells. Nadal, who engineered an epic comeback from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev to win his 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, said the key to comebacks was simple: "keep fighting." "I was super lucky today to be through, honestly," Nadal said after trailing by two breaks in the third set n the way to a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Korda in the WTA and ATP Masters event.

With his latest Houdini act, Nadal improved his perfect record in 2022 to 16-0.

The best-ever start to a season in his legendary career includes not only his record-setting Aussie Open triumph but a title in Acapulco as well.

Nadal, currently ranked fourth in the world, said the streak wasn't a source of pressure.

"I would say the opposite," he said. "The pressure is when you've been losing games and you have to win.