Rafael Nadal should never be underestimated when it comes to the French Open, and that’s what Stefanos Tsitsipas has done. The Greek star has left the “king of clay” off his list of favorites to claim the title at Roland Garros next month.
Tsitsipas was speaking after reaching the final of the Italian Open, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The 2021 French Open finalist lavished admiration on the Serb, who won his first title of 2022 on Sunday in Rome.
Djokovic missed the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double in the United States due to his decision to be vaccinated. Nadal won a record-tying 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne, defeating Daniil Medvedev, before winning titles in Acapulco and reaching the final at Indian Wells.
After a 22-0 start to the 2022 campaign, Nadal was positioned as the favorite for the second Grand Slam in Paris. However, his preparation for Roland Garros has been hampered by injury, first a stress fracture in his rib after losing in the final at Indian Wells to Taylor Fritz, and then a recurrence of his foot issue in Rome.
Rafael Nadal was playing his first match since the Indian Wells final in March
The Spaniard disclosed that he will fly to Paris with his doctor to manage his injury issues, lowering his prospects of winning Roland Garros for the 14th time. As a result, Tsitsipas left Nadal off his list of favorites, opting instead for Djokovic and the young sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
“Currently, Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic are the favorites. They’re both fantastic tennis players “Tsitsipas spoke with Sports Klub journalist Sasa Ozmo After losing to Djokovic at the Italian Open.
Due to his victory at the Italian Open and as the defending French Open winner, Djokovic is a natural favorite. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has earned the nod due to his outstanding performance since the start of the 2022 campaign.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic
The teenager has won at the Miami Masters and the Madrid Masters, as well as Barcelona. Many people, including Djokovic, consider him to be the best player in the world right now, but it’s important to remember that playing in a major tournament – in a best-of-five set format – is a completely different ball game to the ATP Tour.
However, Nadal’s injury makes him a long shot for the title, but no one knows Roland Garros’ red dirt like the Spaniard. He’ll be fired up to get his 2022 season back on track, and there’s no better place for him to do it than his favorite Court Philippe Chatrier.
Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his sixth Italian Open
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