It was the second time in the tournament that Nadal had dropped a set following his win over Francisco Cerundolo earlier in the week as he began his quest for a 23rd Grand Slam title.
“Every day is a challenge, that’s the truth. All opponents are difficult,” Nadal said during his on-court interview.
“We play against the best players in the world… Every day is an opportunity to improve, and today I’m done, so it gives me the chance to continue – very happy for that.”
After Nadal won the first two sets, Berankis, ranked No. 106 in the world, fought back in the third thanks to an early serve break.
A 50-minute rain delay ensued in the fourth to allow time for the roof to close, but Nadal was already 3-0 down in the set and quickly finished the game in just over three hours once the game resumed.
The 36-year-old will face Italy’s 27th seed Lorenzo Sonego in the third round on Saturday.
