Rafael Nadal will enter the French Open 2021 as the defending champion, and will hope to claim his 14th title in Paris. The Spaniard comes into the tournament after winning the Italian Open 2021 title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the finals in three sets. Incidentally, he claimed his 13th French Open title last year, after defeating the Serbian in the finals in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal enters the French Open 2021 as the third seed this time around. The 13 time French Open champion has been handed a tricky draw this time around. The Spaniard is present in the top half of the draw alongside the likes of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Rafael Nadal opens his campaign against Alexei Popyrin in the first round encounter. The 34-year old is expected to win the match in straight sets, and progress into the second round, where he will face either Hugo Gaston or Richard Gasquet.
A tricky draw for Rafael Nadal at French Open this year
In the third round, Rafael Nadal will face the Italian, Lorenzo Sonego who reached the semifinals in Rome, a few weeks ago. It only gets tougher for the Spaniard, as he will face another Italian, Jannik Sinner in a mouth-watering fourth round battle. Last year, the duo clashed in the quarterfinals, where Nadal won in straight sets.
In the quarterfinals, Rafael Nadal is expected to face either of Andrey Rublev or Diego Schwartzman. Nadal has been beaten by Andrey Rublev earlier this season, after losing in three sets in the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo Masters. His biggest challenge comes in the semifinals, where he can face either of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Matteo Berrettini. Most likely, he will face Djokovic, as the dup reignite their rivalry on the Parisian clay.
Rafael Nadal’s Path to his 14th French Open title
- First Round- Alexei Popyrin
- Second Round- Hugo Gaston/ Richard Gasquet
- Third Round- Lorenzo Sonego/ Cameron Norrie
- Fourth Round- Jannik Sinner/ Gael Monfils
- Quarterfinals- Andrey Rublev/ Diego Schwartzman
- Semifinals- Novak Djokovic/ Roger Federer/ Matteo Berrettini
- Final- Alexander Zverev/ Stefanos Tsitsipas/ Alexander Zverev
In the finals, Rafael Nadal will be up against a NextGen player. Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev are all in contention to claim a finals spot. However, going by current form, Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to set up a final clash with Rafael Nadal. The duo clashed in the quarterfinals of Australian Open 2021, where Tsitsipas won in five sets, after coming back from two sets down.
Also Read: French Open 2021: Men’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction
