“If you look at the results you will see that I am not the favorite. But that never bothered meRafa Nadal will begin this Monday (after 3:00 pm-Eurosport/Mundodeportivo.com) with his participation in the 2022 edition of Roland Garros, knowing that this time not all the spotlight is on him.
The recent victory of Novak Djokovic, the defending champion of the tournament, in Rome and the irruption of Carlos Alcarazwho has just won the last two clay tournaments he has played (the Godó and the Mutua Madrid Open) notably shared the favoritism of a tournament that the Balearic have won 13 times in a clear display of authority and power.
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This time everything is different. Nadal arrives in Paris after an early elimination in the Masters 1000 in Rome against Denis Shapovalov in a match where the pain in his foot clearly weighed him down from the second set and that became his main concern.
“I don’t think those problems will go away in two weeks, but that’s not the goal.. The important thing is to know if they are going to be too strong and if they will let me have the options to win here, ”the player said on Friday, who claimed to be“ tired ”of talking about his foot.
“In sport, what one day seems impossible, you suddenly see as possible or even very possible.. I think that click is not far off. In Australia something has been achieved that seems impossible to know where it came from, ”he said.
For now, this Monday he will open against Jordan Thompson. The Australian, 28 years old and number 82 on ATP, is a priori an affordable rival to clay that he lost in the only confrontation between them, in the 2020 Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 (6-1, 7-6).
The next hurdles will be even more complicated as he heads to the grand final. Nadal’s path will continue against Frenchman Corentin Moutet or a former champion like Stan Wawrinka, who is returning from a long absence due to foot surgery. Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp will be waiting for him in the third round, if not for the Italian Fabio Fognini to advance and after some dangerous rounds of 16 the He plays Djokovic in the quarterfinals and Alcaraz or Zverev in the semifinals.
“It was a difficult draw, but mentally it didn’t bother me. When it comes like that, I’d rather have another draw. But I am humble enough to think that only now can I focus on my first rival“he admits in the preview.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
