Rafael Nadal - players.bio

Zverev thought news of drawing Nadal for French Open was a joke - ESPN

PARIS — Alexander Zverev thought his brother was joking when he was told he would be facing 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the opening round of the French Open.

Iga Swiatek 'Roots For Rafa' But Says Right Nadal Not Seeded At French Open

World number one Iga Swiatek said she'll be "rooting" for Rafael Nadal at the French Open but insisted it was fair the 14-time champion had not been seeded. Nadal, ranked a lowly 276 in the world after injury restricted him to just four tournaments since January last year, will face world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round of his farewell appearance. With an astonishing record of just three losses in 115 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 debut, there were suggestions that officials should have the discretion to seed former champions.

Rafael Nadal Faces Alexander Zverev At Farewell French Open As Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka Eye Clash

Rafael Nadal will face world number four Alexander Zverev in a blockbuster first round match at his farewell French Open while women's champion Iga Swiatek and fellow four-time major winner Naomi Osaka are on a second round collision course. Defending men's champion and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will face French veteran Pierre Hugues-Herbert in his opener. Nadal, who has won Roland Garros on 14 occasions, is unseeded after injury saw his ranking plummet to 276. He and Zverev met in the semi-finals in 2022 when the German was forced to retire after suffering a serious ankle injury. Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, will turn 38 next week and this season will be his last on tour.

Rafael Nadal Ready For Emotional French Open Farewell

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his 19-year French Open career with the likelihood of adding to his 14 titles greatly diminished before he leaves behind a record and reputation unlikely ever to be matched. The great Spaniard, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, won his first title at Roland Garros as a teenager in 2005. A week on Monday, he will celebrate his 38th birthday. A former world number one, who is now at 276 in the world, Nadal has only played 15 matches since January last year as a hip injury and then a muscle tear were added to a depressing history of physical ailments which have forced him to miss 12 Grand Slam tournaments in his career.