Before the 2024 Italian Open in Rome, Rafael Nadal had to wait out a game once more, but this time he could be ready for his opponent in the first round.
The Spaniard’s return has been remarkably successful. In his fourth match in the 2024 Madrid Open, he lost to Jiri Lehecka after defeating three other players.
Of course, the best-case scenario for Rafael Nadal would be to defeat every opponent and take home the trophy, just as he did a few years ago. However, based on his cautious remarks, it’s possible that even he wasn’t expecting to win the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
The 37-year-old relocated to the city of Italy after spending time in the Spanish capital. He will compete in his final ATP Masters 1000 match there before travelling to Paris for the French Open.
Nadal didn’t know who his first-round opponent would be until the Italian Open draw was announced. He knew that if he won, he would play against Hubert Hurkacz, who is ranked sixth.
It was meant to be one of the qualifiers, but the Spanish legend could have drawn anyone because there were so many talented players in the qualifying, and now he knows who he will face at Foro Italico in the first round.
Zizou Bergs, ranked 108th in the world, won both of his qualification matches against Patrick Kypson and Jerry Shang to secure a spot in the main draw in Rome. The draw was harsh on him, as it assigned him against the 10-time champion of the tournament.
Nadal convincingly defeated a considerably younger opponent in the first round a few weeks ago, and Bergs will have an as difficult task ahead of him. In the event that he fails in his mission and Nadal also prevails in his second-round match, the 25th-seeded Martin Etcheverry, Tomas