Top seed Rafael Nadal will kickstart his ATP Finals campaign in Turin against America’s Taylor Fritz in the round-robin stage of the competition on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal

The legendary Spaniard got off to a flying start this season. He bagged the title in Melbourne and followed it up with wins at the Australian Open and the Mexican Open. He went down to Taylor Fritz in the finals of the BNP Paribas Open and suffered an injury during the match as well. Nadal won his fourth title of the season at the French Open.

In recent times, injuries have been a huge roadblock for the veteran. He had to withdraw ahead of his Wimbledon semi-final encounter against Nick Kyrgios owing to an abdominal tear. The former world No. 1 returned in Cincinnati but was ousted in the first round. At the US Open, Nadal suffered an upset loss against Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16. The 22-time Grand Slam champion most recently played in the Paris Masters, where he lost in his first match against Tommy Paul.

Taylor Fritz

The 25-year-old has bagged three titles so far in 2022. He won his first title at the BNP Paribas Open in March. His second title came in Eastbourne, where he defeated Maxime Cressy while the third one came at the Japan Open, where he ousted Frances Tiafoe.

Fritz comes into the tournament after having a rather dismal campaign at the Paris Masters. He won his first-round match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets but lost to the local hero Gilles Simon in a riveting three-set affair.

Head-to-Head and Prediction

The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 2-1 in favor of Nadal. Fritz won in their last encounter in the Indian Wells Masters in straight sets.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in three sets.

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