“On the paper, it’s not the best draw,” Rafael Nadal speaks about his matchup against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros Round one

Rafael Nadal takes on Alexander Zverev on Monday in the 2022 quarter-final rematch.

“On the paper, it’s not the best draw,” Rafael Nadal speaks about his matchup against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros Round one

Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

The tennis world is excited about the first-round match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev. A tough matchup for the 37-year-old, who is playing in the French Open for the last time. For not having played all of last year, Nadal relies on his protected ranking to get into the main draws of the tournament and is forced to be placed in tough draws. 

While his fans expected him to play Novak Djokovic in the first round, it was Zverev instead. In a recent interview, he spoke about his first-round draw against the most recent Masters 1000 winner. 

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On the paper, it is not the best draw. 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, not a small one. So just, what can I do that the draw, just be ready for it. 
Rafael Nadal said via Roland Garros press

All the odds lie against Nadal, but the Spaniard has a history of proving the world wrong and can pull off a win again. He is a 3:1 underdog in his first match and would look to get past the first-round difficulty to try and have a better chance in the tournament. 

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Rafael Nadal gets the biggest cheers as he practices with Holger Rune ahead of the first-round at the French Open

Spanish pro Rafael Nadal received a huge round of applause as he stepped on the court for a practice session with Holger Rune this weekend. He has been one of the biggest crowd pullers on tour so far, and once again, a stadium full of people arrived to witness his practice with a young ATP star.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

In a viral video on X, it can be seen that the crowd cheered on the 37-year-old as he seated it out in the middle. Though it was just a practice, the fans religiously make an appearance to witness their favorite Rafa play in what is touted as his last year as an active player. 

Recently, the Spaniard mentioned that this might not be his last French Open, leaving fans with a glimmer of hope despite the strong possibility. He further emphasized that, for the first time, he felt ready to compete without any limitations.

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