account_circle
Register
menu
person
Premium Avatar
Log in
Register
Nadal bidding to avoid early French Open exit
© afp.com/ALAIN JOCARD

Nadal bidding to avoid early French Open exit

Published by , Sunday 05/26/24 14:06

Rafael Nadal admits he will be facing "one of the toughest opponents possible" when he plays Alexander Zverev in the French Open first round on Monday.

This year's event was expected to be the 14-time champion's farewell to Roland Garros, but he has since insisted he could not confirm "100 percent" it would be his last appearance.

Nadal has only played four tournaments since January 2023 after suffering a hip injury and then a muscle tear.

That left him unseeded for the draw and vulnerable to a difficult opening round at a tournament where he has only lost three of his 115 matches.

World number four Zverev arrives in Paris as one of the favourites for the title after winning the Rome Open earlier this month.

"Of course on paper it is not the best draw," Nadal said ahead of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"I play against one of the toughest opponents possible, and at the same time, he came here winning the last event and it's a Masters 1000.

"It's not a small one. So what can I do? That's the draw. Just try to be ready for it."

Nadal, who turns 38 in a week's time, has shown flashes of his best form in the clay-court swing, but was thrashed 6-1, 6-3 by Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of his last outing in Rome.

He boasts a 7-3 winning record over Zverev ahead of their first meeting since the 2022 French Open semi-finals, when the German left the court in a wheelchair near the end of the second set after injuring his ankle.

"I am not anxious. No, I am focused on trying to play well. That's it," said Nadal.

"Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It's a possibility, of course. I don't want to hide that.

"But in my mind, is do something different and play much better and give myself a chance to play competitive."

- 'Didn't want' to play Nadal -

Zverev did not play again in 2022 after that ankle injury but has climbed the rankings again in recent months.

The 27-year-old has long been touted as a future Grand Slam champion but remains without one of tennis' four biggest titles.

Clay is his strongest surface, though, and he has reached the semi-finals in each of the last three years at Roland Garros.

The men's draw looks far more open than usual, with doubts surrounding Nadal's fitness and Novak Djokovic having endured a turbulent start to the year.

"I can guarantee you Novak didn't want to play Rafa in the first round and (Carlos) Alcaraz didn't want to play, Jannik (Sinner) didn't want to play him," admitted Zverev.

"I don't want to play him in the first round, but it is how it is. He has been out injured. He hasn't played a lot of tennis. His ranking is where it is. Of course it's not ideal, but at the same time, you know, there is nothing you can do.

"Everybody now is excited for a tough battle and tough first round. I think he's excited and I'm excited for it."

French Open organisers were prepared to stage a tribute ceremony to Nadal to honour his career but the Spaniard was reluctant to endorse such a celebration.

"We were ready to press the button on it," admitted tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.

"But it's Rafa who manages his timing, we follow what he wants. We wouldn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position."

Also on Monday, women's world number one Iga Swiatek starts her bid for a fourth French Open crown against home player Leolia Jeanjean.

Victory for the top seed will give her a second round clash with fellow four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka.

Men's Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, former Roland Garros runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and women's US Open title-holder Coco Gauff all get their campaigns under way on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Source: AFP

Latest comments comments
Change is always good.
B Ravi kumar B Ravi kumar il y a 9 heures
Everyone will have there GOAT. Mine will always be Nadal. So glad I had the opportunity to watch him for almost his entire career
sdholly5 sdholly5 il y a 11 heures
Someone needs reading lessons
bigman27 bigman27 il y a 18 heures
Congratulation Emma I want you back to top 10 I always love you
Magdywhitecat Magdywhitecat il y a 21 heures
I had a small miniscus tear operated on and was allowed back in the gym and rnning 4 days later so long as I promised to take anti inflammatories and ice heavily afterwards. Back to playing basketball and tennis in two weeks. So it depends on the nature of the injury and surgery.
SH321 SH321 il y a 22 heures
It's the most wonderful tiiiime of the yeaaaar....
cyberpixie cyberpixie il y a 1 jour
Top des commentaires comments
Nicely played Thiago 👏👌
1 thumb_up
Aladdin Sane Aladdin Sane
LET'S FUCKING GO EMIL! WELCOME BACK TO THE THRONE!! And don't listen to Aladdin..
1 thumb_up
Ossian S. Ossian S.
Everyone will have there GOAT. Mine will always be Nadal. So glad I had the opportunity to watch him for almost his entire career
1 thumb_up
sdholly5 sdholly5
The person who write this article is completely incorrect, or simply ignorant to write the statement "Jannik Sinner is all about himself". Is the writer for real? Jannik is the most decent, humble and
1 thumb_up
Bobo Bobo
Congrats & well played Paul 🇬🇧👏👌
1 thumb_up
Aladdin Sane Aladdin Sane