Rafael Nadal's path to the trophy at the 2022 Italian Open

Rafael Nadal will try to add his eleventh title at the Italian Open as he will face tough opposition on his way to the trophy in the Italian capital.

Nadal is, without a doubt, the greatest clay-court player who has ever graced a tennis court. The 35-year-old Spaniard won the Roland Garros 13 times, with no other player coming close to matching him.

He's also won several clay-court titles around the world, and he'll strive to add another in the 2022 Italian Open in Rome. However, he will encounter players ready to stun him on his road to winning the 2022 Italian Open.

Nadal received a BYE in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament since he is the third seed at the event, but he will face the winner of the match between John Isner and a qualifier already in the second round of the competition.

Should he win this match, in the third round, he will most probably face Denis Shapovalov, who is the 13th seeded at the event. His quarter-final opponent will most probably come from the duo Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz, who also played in the quarter-finals in Madrid.

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From the semi-final round, it will be a very similar story to what he could have faced in the Spanish capital. First, Nadal will most probably meet one of his greatest rivals, Novak Djokovic, in the semifinals.

In the final, he could take on any of the players on the opposing side of the draw, including Carlos Alcaraz, who upset him in the 2022 Madrid Open. Alexander Zverev, who is another finalist from Madrid, might make it to the final in Madrid as well.

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Rafael Nadal's path to the trophy at the 2022 Italian Open: