Rafael Nadal will play his first singles match on the Olympic Video games in eight years towards Marton Fucsovics in Paris! The 14-time Roland Garros champion will enter the Court docket Philippe-Chatrier for the second time in two days, getting the inexperienced mild to enter the singles draw following a setback together with his proper thigh.
The veteran was not sure about right this moment’s match, scoring the doubles win with Carlos Alcaraz final evening and leaving all the things open till the morning. Nadal skilled on Court docket Philippe-Chatrier earlier right this moment and determined to remain within the event and problem Fucsovics within the first-round singles match.
The winner will face Novak Djokovic within the second spherical, and we are going to see the sixtieth duel between two nice rivals if Rafa tops Marton. The Spaniard arrived in Paris following his first ATP last in over two years in Bastad. Rafa skipped the grass swing and stayed on clay, getting into Bastad as his last preparation forward of the Olympics.
Rafael Nadal will face Marton Fucsovics on the Olympic Video games in Paris.
The veteran scored 4 wins for the primary time since Wimbledon 2022, surviving the Mariano Navone problem within the quarter-final and staying in rivalry.
They battled for 4 hours, and Rafa determined to check his physique the next day, beating Duje Ajdukovic in three units and shifting into his 131st ATP last. He may solely do some towards Nuno Borges, falling 6-3, 6-2 in beneath an hour and a half after dropping steam.
Rafa traveled to Paris, making ready for a double obligation and coaching with out points on Tuesday. Nadal felt discomfort in his proper thigh on Wednesday, skipping Thursday’s apply session and returning to the courtroom on Friday with a bandage on his troubled thigh.
Rafa debuted in Paris on Saturday evening alongside Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spanish duo ousting the sixth seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6, 6-4 for a successful begin. Nadal and Alcaraz misplaced serve two occasions within the early stage of every set.
They bounced again and broke the Argentines thrice, prevailing within the pivotal moments and shifting into the second spherical.
They kicked off the duel with back-to-back breaks, with extra issues for the Spanish squad at 2-2. They saved break factors and reached a tie break, taking part in nicely and taking it 7-4 after Nadal’s return winner. The Argentines led 3-0 within the second set earlier than the Spaniards pulled the break again in sport 5.
Rafa and Carlos served nicely within the remaining video games, conserving the stress on the opposite facet. Gonzalez and Molteni survived the seventh sport earlier than going through extra points at 4-4. The Spaniards grabbed an important break, and Nadal served out for the victory at 5-4. Carlos landed a volley winner on a match level, sending Main champions into the second spherical.