Andy Roddick believes Rafael Nadal’s positive outlook before the Italian Open is a ‘scary’ sight for his rivals.
For the first time since 2022, the Spaniard will play three successive tournaments after competing in Barcelona and Madrid before arriving in Rome.
He remained cautious regarding his fitness in Spain, but since arriving in the Italian capital the 37-year-old has been positive regarding how he feels physically.
Ahead of his opening round encounter with Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, Roddick sent a warning to the other players about Nadal going in search of his first title of the season.
How does Roddick rate Nadal’s chances at the Italian Open?
During an appearance on the Tennis Channel, Roddick said: “It’s a scary thing. He’s the master of over-promising and over-delivering.
“He’s saying he’s feeling great in Rome and is as encouraged by his body and form as he has been for a long time, he can absolutely make a run at this tournament.
“It’s a scary thing when Rafa is pumping himself up publicly before an event, he must be feeling very very good.”
Nadal was left encouraged by his performance in Madrid, where he reached the fourth round after securing victories against teenager Daniel Blanch, World Number 11 Alex de Minaur and Argentina’s Pedro Cachín.
Following his three-hour contest with the 29-year-old, Nadal was unable to crack the impenetrable serve of Jiri Lehecka in round four, who claimed a straight-sets win in what is likely to be Nadal’s final match in the Spanish capital.
Roddick was left impressed by how Nadal’s body held up and he is eager to continue building momentum with Roland Garros around the corner.
“At some point during that event, we stopped looking for injuries and we started simply watching the tennis and what he can do again,” the 2003 US Open champion added.
“If you told him going into Madrid that he could get four matches, test his body and come out good on the other side, during his practice in Rome I saw a full-on fist pump, this guy is ready to go.”
What is Nadal’s record at the Italian Open?
Throughout his illustrious career, Nadal has made 18 appearances at the Italian Open.
He has recorded 69 wins and just eight losses, and has made the final on 12 occasions, 10 of which he won. Nadal last lifted the Rome title in 2021, when he defeated his great rival Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.
His last appearance came in 2022 and while in control of his fourth-round match with Dennis Shapovalov, he suffered a foot injury which hampered his ability to continue playing at a high level and ultimately lost the contest.
However, this did not stop Nadal from going on to claim a 14th Roland Garros crown weeks later. He missed the Italian Open in 2023 due to injury but one year later, he is ready to compete at the Foro Italico once again.
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