Rafael Nadal is leaving no stone unturned as he aims for a 15th French Open title at Roland Garros in 2024.
The Spaniard hasn’t played at the tournament that he’s won 14 times since 2022 and on that occasion, he triumphed.
Fitness has been a real issue for Nadal and ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year, he’s been playing practice sets against fellow players.
Yesterday he ousted Sebastian Korda 6-3 and today he cranked things up a bit by taking on Stan Wawrinka on the Philippe Chatrier Court.
Rafael Nadal plays Stan Wawrinka in practice set
These two have had plenty of battles over the years, with Nadal winning 19 of their 22 meetings as professional players.
Nadal beat the Swiss player en route to claiming a French Open title in 2017, thrashing him in straight sets.
Today, the pair locked horns on a low-key level as the pair got used to one of the show courts at Roland Garros.
According to journalist Dani Gil, it was Nadal who came out on top during the practice set, claiming a 6-4 victory.
Wawrinka has enjoyed a decent career, winning three of the four Grand Slams, with Wimbledon the crown to evade him.
At 39-years-old, his career won’t be going on forever and he’d have relished the chance to have a practice with Nadal ahead of the French Open.
Nadal can still enjoy magic moments at Roland Garros
Given his advancing years, it’s highly unlikely that Nadal can trouble the top players at the French Open anymore.
Winning the tournament looks like a real stretch given that it would mean Nadal staying in tip-top condition for two full weeks.
Practicing with someone like Wawrinka will get his sharpness levels up though with the 2008 gold medal winner knowing all of the shots.
The Swiss star has been as high as number three in the world back in 2014 and he remains a pretty dangerous proposition.
Nadal is in his final year on the professional circuit and he will hope to at least go out showcasing the steely determination that has served him so well in his career.
The main draw is only days away now and it will be fascinating to see how sharp Nadal is when the tournament gets underway.
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