Novak Djokovic will debut this Friday at the Masters 1000 ATP in Rome, against the Argentine Thomas Martin Etcheverry. He defends a title he has won six times: 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2015, 2020 and 2022.
Although the king of the list of winners is the great absentee in this edition, Rafael Nadalwho added ten crowns to the Foro Italico.
The Spaniard has not competed since injuring the iliopsoas in his left leg at the Australian Open. Complications in the recovery from the illness led to constant withdrawals from his favorite tournaments: Monte Carlo, Godó and Madrid before he announced his absence in Rome because he still did not feel competitive to return to the ATP Tour .
Roland Garros is just around the corner, it will be held from May 28 to June 11. The big unknown is if it will come and how Rafael Nothingl, in what will be the first time he arrives in Paris without having played a previous official match on the ground since its debut in 2005, when he inaugurated a 14-tally success that he continued until recently, when 2022.
the swiss Roger Federer, beginning of his golden retirement, he spoke of a “difficult” blow for tennis if the Spaniard missed the clay-court Grand Slam.
more are played Novak Djokovicwho seeks to break the balance of 22 Grand Slam titles in his favor Rafael Nadal. More considering that ‘Nole’ dominates his ‘head to head’ in Manacorí by 30-29, but it is clearly negative in Roland Garros: 2-8. The latter, in the 2022 quarterfinals with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) win for the Balearic Islands.
What does it mean and change if Nadal does not compete in Roland Garros? What do you do if one of your big rivals doesn’t show up? Djokovic assured that “it doesn’t change anything in terms of my preparation and focus because I’m focused on doing the best for myself.”
On the contrary, “Roland Garros and tennis will be affected by his tournament record, what he has achieved in his career and the impact he has had on the sport,” the Serb said.
He explained, “any tournament that he misses, especially the big ones, has an impact, also for the fans. I’m sure everyone wants to see him in Paris. I also want to have the best so that the challenge is as big as this.”
He does not manage much information about the real state of Nadal, as he points out: “I saw some videos where he is training, he is trying to prepare for Roland Garros. I am not in his place, or in his skin. No I know how he feels, but yes, I’m sure he’s trying his best. And we’ll see what happens”, concluded Djokovic.
Source: La Verdad
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