Rafael
Nadal has confirmed his presence in the upcoming
Rome Open, which takes place
between May 8th and 19th at the Foro Italico, in what will be his last stop
before the
French Open. The Spanish player is the ultimate legend of the
tournament and has shattered all records.
Nadal
has already accumulated several matches under his belt, after reaching the
second round of the
Barcelona Open and then the round of 16 at the
Madrid Open.
The 22-times Grand Slam champion acknowledged that he is not yet at his 100%
physically, but he achieved some good victories before falling to world No. 31
Jiri Lehecka.
Nadal's
historic reign at the Rome Open
Without
too much rest time, Nadal will take to the court again in one of the
tournaments that has given him the most success in his career. The former world
No. 1 holds the absolute record of 10 titles, the first of which came in 2005
and the last achieved in 2021, surpassing
Novak Djokovic's 6 titles.
Nadal won his last Rome Open at 2021. He defeated the defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final by 7–5, 1–6, 6–3
The
King of Clay is the only player to have won the title three times consecutively
and holds the record for the most finals contested (12). Highlights include the
6 consecutive finals played between 2009 and 2014 and the impeccable streak of
17 consecutive victories achieved between 2005 and 2008. Nadal has a record of
69-8 (90%), the most overwhelming in the history of the tournament, a record
only surpassed by himself in the Monte-Carlo Masters with 73-6 (92%).
His
last participation was in 2022 when he barely reached the third round, marking
the second time in 18 appearances that he failed to reach at least the
quarterfinals. On that occasion, world No. 13
Denis Shapovalov surprised Nadal
(No. 3) by turning the score around and defeating him 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. Injuries
prevented Nadal from returning in 2023, and next week he will have the
opportunity for his 19th time at the Italian Open.