Before facing Nadal, Zizou Bergs tries to put things into perspective: "Find the conviction that I can beat him".

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Elio Valotto

le 08/05/2024 à 17h41

1 min to read

Bergs Nadal Rome

We're in for a real clash of perspectives this Thursday. Zizou Bergs, ranked 108th in the world, takes on the king of clay, Rafael Nadal. It's quite a challenge for the Belgian, as it's the first time in his career that he'll be playing a Masters 1000 final table match without benefiting from a wild-card. After emerging from the qualifying rounds, this Thursday he will face a player who has won 36 times in the category (including 10 times in Rome): Rafael Nadal.

As he prepares to take on a mountain, the 24-year-old is happy and tries to remain ambitious: "To be able to take on Nadal is incredible! Especially as he won't be playing for much longer. I've always dreamed of one day taking on a member of the 'Big Three'. So it's going to be Nadal, and I'm at a loss for words. It's just so beautiful. From now on, of course, I'll have to find the conviction to beat him. I'll have to face reality and tell myself that I'm up against someone who's ranked 305th in the world. It won't be easy, but if I can get that into my head, I might be able to compete." (comments relayed by RTBF).