Hurkacz, the seventh seed, defeated the 37-year-old Spaniard 6-1, 6-3, in Rome.

Rafael Nadal’s bid to win the Italian Open for the 11th time came up short in the second round against Hubert Hurkacz in Rome.

On Thursday, Nadal came back from a set down against Zizou Bergs to advance to the next round of an event he last won in 2021.

However, the 37-year-old Spaniard was defeated 6-1, 6-3 by seventh seed Hurkacz on a scorching hot day – a match that could be Nadal’s last in the Italian capital. Nadal, a 22-time grand slam winner who could retire at the end of the year, dropped his first service game and was broken twice more as Hurkacz easily won the second set, dropping only one point.

Nadal was then immediately on the back foot in the second set when he was broken in just the third game, with Hurkacz, ranked ninth in the world, going on to complete an impressive victory in one hour and 32 minutes.

“I am proud of myself because playing Rafa is special,” said Hurkacz following his first match against Nadal.

“It is just different, especially on clay, the surface he has dominated for the past 20 years. No one will ever have a record like him on this surface, so he is bigger than the sport.”

Iga Swiatek, the world number one, advanced to the round of 16 at the WTA event after defeating Yulia Putintseva in straight sets. The Pole won the first set 6-3, and despite trailing her opponent 4-1 in the second set, she won five consecutive games to extend her winning streak to eight matches. Swiatek will next play Angelique Kerber, while former world number one Naomi Osaka, who has yet to drop a set, advanced to the following round after defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3.