Bernabe Zapata Miralles was never ranked among the top 150 junior players in the ITF Junior Rankings. As a junior, the Spaniard only competed in one major, the 2015 US Open.
“I remember losing in the second round to Tsitsipas,” Zapata Miralles told ATPTour.com. “I won the first round, but I was extremely nervous.”
Practise sessions with his compatriots, notably Feliciano Lopez and Gullermo Garcia-Lopez, were among his favourite recollections from the competition. Zapata Miralles recalls watching Garcia-Lopez play Tomas Berdych in the third round with fondness.
The younger players utilise a dressing facility in an indoor building across the street from Arthur Ashe Stadium for the season’s last major. But Zapata Miralles recalls having the opportunity to enter the professional locker room once. One of the rivals he saw there was Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard has never practised with or played against the Serbian. But that will change on Wednesday, when Zapata Miralles takes on the 23-time major champion.
“I believe I should be calm. Of sure, I have nothing to lose if I play Novak,” Zapata Miralles stated. “I try to stay focused on the game and do my best to create some chances.” But I’m not really concerned.
“For me, it’s just another match, one more in my tennis career, and that’s all that matters.”
However, he has never played an opponent with the expertise of Djokovic, who has a record seven ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone finishes. The Spaniard has a high regard for the three-time US Open champion.
“I think he’s a machine,” stated Zapata Miralles. “For me, he’s an unbelievable player, one of the best in history.”
The good news for Zapata Miralles is that he has faced a lot of quality players this season, including five quality 10 opponents. In Rome, he forced Daniil Medvedev to a third set tie-break, and in Hamburg, he forced Andrey Rublev to a final-set tie-break. Zapata Miralles, on the other hand, has never beaten a Top 10 player.
“I had some good clay matches this year.” “I think the match against Novak will be different because it will be on hard, and I always feel more comfortable on clay,” Zapata Miralles remarked. “I had successful matches against Rublev in Hamburg and Daniil in Rome.” But I believe the contest on Wednesday will be different.”
Zapata Miralles won in straight sets against defending NCAA men’s singles champion Ethan Quinn on Tuesday, his first tour-level victory on hard courts this season (6-16 career). His 27 tour-level wins have all come on clay.
“It’s a different surface, so it’s more complicated for me, I think,” Zapata Miralles said. “However, I intend to return to the level at which I performed in these matches.”
Zapata Miralles, a clay-court star who achieved to a career-high No. 37 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year due to his dominance on that surface, considers the US Open to be his favourite event.
“Perhaps [because] I adore the city.” New York is my favourite city. “I’m very at ease in Manhattan,” Zapata Miralles added. “When I have time, I prefer to stroll there and eat at several eateries… “I feel at ease here.”
Zapata Miralles will hope that is the case when he takes against Djokovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.
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