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Here’s a look at how 13-time Roland Garros winner Rafael Nadal could potentially seal his place in the French Open 2022 final.
Rafael Nadal is widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time. The 35-year-old has won 21 major Grand Slam titles and 13 of them have come at the French Open.
Now, Nadal will be looking for his record-extending 14th Grand Slam title at this year’s clay-court event. Ahead of the second Grand Slam event of the year, we look at Nadal’s projected path to the final.
1st Round Opponent: Jordan Thompson – Nadal will begin his campaign against the Australian, who has struggled on clay this season.
2nd Round Opponent: Stan Wawrinka – Nadal leads the Swiss star 19-3 in their H2H encounters and is expected to get past the veteran with relative ease given his preference on clay.
3rd Round Opponent: Fabio Fognini – The Italian has knocked out Nadal in some significant events in the past. Fognini’s three wins over Nadal have been impressive but we expect the Spanish star to get the better of the 34-year-old.
4th Round Opponent: Felix Auger-Aliassime / Reilly Opelka – If Felix Auger-Aliassime gets to the fourth round, he could pose a few threats to the Spaniard. On the other hand, Reilly Opelka has never beaten Nadal in two previous matches.
Quarterfinal Opponent: Novak Djokovic – Arguably the toughest challenge for Nadal at the French Open. The defending champion will be eager to keep a hold of his French Open crown this year.
Semifinal Opponent: Carlos Alcaraz/ Alexander Zverev – Alcaraz got the better of Nadal at the Madrid Open and is tipped as one of the favourites to win the French Open this year. On the other hand, Zverev has also impressed plenty of tennis enthusiasts this year.
Final Opponent: Stefanos Tsitsipas – One of the toughest challenges on a clay court. The ‘Prince of Clay’ may face the ‘King of Clay’ in the Roland Garros final.
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