Rafael Nadal NOT FAVORITE at the French Open says uncle Toni Nadal with a twist

Uncle Toni believes first week at Roland Garros will be pivotal for Rafael Nadal's title defense campaign.

Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal (Image Credit: FirstSportz)

Rafael Nadal is one player who is considered favorite to win any competition that he participates in. He is also the favorite to win this year’s French Open singles title. But not for Toni Nadal, at least for the first week.

Toni Nadal who is the uncle of the 22-time Grand Slam champion believes that if his nephew survives the first week of the Roland Garros, he can step up his game to lift the title. However, he also added that he is not the favorite to win the Major in the first week of the event. He gave the example of last year’s victorious campaign of Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros to elaborate on his point further.

“I have already said it. The first week, Rafael Nadal is not favorite. But if he manages to get through the first week, he becomes the favourite. I’m confident. Last year, he struggled to get into his tournament, he wasn’t playing his best tennis,”Toni Nadal said in an interview.

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“But against Felix Auger‐Aliassime, in the round of 16, he managed to get out of a very difficult match. He was moving better and better with his legs. Then he beat Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev even though he got injured, and Casper Ruud in the final. So of course Rafa will still be a serious contender to win the title, but it all depends on his health,” he continued.

Hence, according to Toni Nadal, for Rafael Nadal the first week of the tournament is going to be very crucial.

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Rafael Nadal can win French Open title for the 15th time in his career

Rafael Nadal with French Open 2022 trophy (Image Credit: The New York Times)

The Spaniard is known for his brute force and prowess on the courts. However, he is also known for sluggish start in the tournaments, particularly Grand Slams. The journey of Rafael Nadal is never smooth. He struggles in the first week of the Majors even before unseeded opponents.

However, he does know how to increase the level of his game and then in a row he can beat even the best players. In the context of Toni Nadal’s statements, his performance in the Australian Open can be analyzed. He lost only the second match of the competition in the first week at Melbourne Park. He could not survive for the first week and was knocked out of the competition.

But whenever he has gone past the first week, the current World No.15 has made it to the advanced stages of the competitions. Rafael Nadal’s career has been a testimony to this reoccuring phenomena. Hence, he is most vulnerable in the first week of a Grand Slam tournament.

However, Rafael Nadal’s physical fitness is a concern for millions of tennis fans. The first week of a Major is gruelling and requires the players to show their best on the courts. Hence, if Rafael Nadal wins the first few rounds at the Roland Garros 2023, he can become unstoppable and can win his career’s 15th French Open and career’s 23rd Grand Slam singles title.