Rafael Nadal prepared for this year’s Italian Open main draw by defeating a top-30 player in a practice match.
Nadal was back in one of his favourite cities, aiming for a record-extending 11th triumph. However, worries regarding his participation in the event surfaced after he was seen wearing a leg compression after training.
The ATP Tour’s main draw action at the Foro Italico begins on May 8th. Nadal, who enters the 96-player singles competition with a predicted ranking, will face a qualifier in his opening round. If he wins, he would face Hubert Hurkacz, the world number nine, in the second round.
But, before his first official match in Rome since 2022, he took to the practice courts on Tuesday to face World No. 22 Francisco Cerundolo in front of hundreds of enthusiastic tennis fans.
The match was played on the outdoor exhibition court rather than the Court Centrale, where he had his first practice session of the tournament. And Nadal was laser-focused, bringing the energy to the court against Argentina’s No. 2 player.
A fan (@edocrisx) in attendance shared snippets of the practice match points on the social media network X (previously Twitter). According to reports, Nadal won the match 6-3, 7-6(5), and is hitting the ball “with more confidence”.
While practice results don’t always represent much in the broad scheme of things, Nadal’s progress from his first match on this year’s clay-court swing is obvious, particularly in victories over Alex de Minaur and Pedro Cachin in Madrid.
Although he has not ruled out playing until 2024, Nadal stated that he played his final match at the Madrid Open this week, losing to Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16. He will decide whether to play at Roland Garros following the Italian Open.