Rafael Nadal has a really difficult draw at the upcoming Roland Garros, as he has to face Alexander Zverev in the opening round, but veteran Richard Gasquet says he can win that match.
Gasquet has known Nadal for many years and played him quite a handful of times, even in juniors. He even played against him in Paris, so he knows really well how tough it is to play Nadal in Paris.
Zverev knows it too, as they played against each other two years ago in an iconic match that could have lasted around five or six hours. The German injured his ankle in that match, but he's back this year and in peak form after winning the Italian Open.
It's going to be very tough for the Spaniard against Zverev, but fellow ATP veteran Gasquet believes he can do it. He actually saw Nadal up close in practice, and apparently, he's looking really good.
"I'm seeing Rafa well in training. Obviously it's a very complicated matchup because Sascha arrives in great shape and is a favorite, but if there is someone who can achieve surprising things, it's Rafa."
"He played very well in Madrid and, although in Rome things didn't go the way he wanted, I see him capable of beating Zverev."
Obviously, he's not the only one who thinks Nadal can win this match. It's going to be really tough against the fourth seed, and it's quite unlikely, judging how they both played in Italy last week, but if someone can do it, it's the 14-time champion at the event.
He's the player who has won this tournament more than anyone else, and he also won the last edition he played in 2022 and overcame Zverev that year. We'll see what happens this time around.
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