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Rafael Nadal Draws Tough Opponent in Round One of Likely Last French Open

Madison Williams

Jan 18, 2023; Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia; Rafael Nadal during his second round match against Mackenzie Mcdonald on day three of the 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park.
Jan 18, 2023; Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia; Rafael Nadal during his second round match against Mackenzie Mcdonald on day three of the 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. / Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports

Rafael Nadal is about to begin what is likely his last run at the French Open this upcoming Sunday, and it won't be an easy task.

The 2024 French Open draw was announced on Thursday. Nadal, who is currently ranked No. 276 in the world, is set to face World No. 4 Alexander Zverev. The German player is coming off a title win at the Italian Open last week, meaning he's got some momentum.

The last time Nadal and Zverev played against each other at the French Open was during the semifinal in 2022. As the competitors were about to begin the second tiebreaker of the match, Zverev suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Nadal advanced to the final because of this, and he ended up winning his 14th French Open title.

Nadal didn't play in last year's French Open due to an ongoing hip injury. He missed the majority of the 2023 season because of the injury.

The 36-year-old has hinted that the 2024 season is his last as he's dealt with the various injuries.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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