Roland-Garros is rapidly approaching, with the world’s best tennis players preparing to take to the clay in France.
Among them is Rafael Nadal, with the Spanish legend participating at the French Open for the very last time.
He will turn 38 during the tournament, with the veteran star hoping for one more unforgettable Roland-Garros before retiring.
Nadal has won the competition a record 14 times, and although it will be a tricky task, it would be foolish to rule out a 15th going his way.
The Spaniard is the best around on clay, which is perhaps unsurprising given that around 100,000 courts across Spain use this surface.
Rafael Nadal concern emerges ahead of French Open
But Nadal has been given a very unenviable open to the tournament, with the left-hander drawn to face German fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the first round.
It has drawn major concerns from former player Rennae Stubbs, who believes he could even withdraw from Roland-Garros amid a lack of form.
“I have to say when I saw the draw come out my first thought was will he play now?” Stubbs questioned on The French Connection.
“Because seeing that draw come out I thought this is just impossible for him, he is just not playing well enough.”
Can Rafael Nadal overcome Alexander Zverev?
The second Grand Slam tournament of the season gets underway on Sunday (26 May), and Zverev is unsurprisingly one of the favourites.
The 27-year-old heads to Roland-Garros in superb form, having won the Italian Open in Rome earlier this month.
He lifted the trophy for the second time in his career with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nicolas Jarry, having first tasted success there in 2017.
He became just the third player since 2000 to clinch the title on multiple occasions, joining Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the list.
Zverev has 28 wins and nine losses in 2024 so far, with Nadal’s record sitting at seven and four respectively.
The King of Clay must not be overlooked for an early win, but Zverev should still spoil the party and come out on top in this mammoth clash.
The duo had planned a practice session together, but that has since been cancelled following the news that they will meet in round one.
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