"All eyes will be on him and on Novak": Corretja believes pressure now shifts to Alcaraz after Nadal Roland Garros withdrawal

Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from Roland Garros means that all the pressure will be on Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz according to Corretja.

Rafael Nadal withdrew from Roland Garros and it's a pretty consequential move for the event. The favourite is out of the draw and now every other player automatically has an increased chance of winning the event. Speaking to Eurosport, former player Alex Corretja talked about the hole, Nadal's absence leaves:

"It has a massive impact. Whatever tournament you enter, if Nadal is not there then there is a hole in the draw where you are missing someone. But if it's Roland-Garros, it's not a hole, it's a whole world missing there! It is going to start making other players believe that they can win Roland Garros."

He also talked about the added pressure it puts on Alcaraz and Djokovic, players who many consider the biggest favourites to win now that Nadal won't play:

"It will definitely have an impact on Alcaraz, for sure. All eyes will be on him and on Novak and all the other potential favourites but being Spanish and knowing that Rafa is not going to be there, all the attention is going to be on him on the men's side."