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"Anyone can play Rafa in the first round": Taylor Fritz points out 'crazy' caveat to Rafael Nadal return as unseeded name
ATPMonday, 04 December 2023 at 02:30
Taylor
Fritz reacted to Rafael Nadal's return to the ATP Tour and the scenarios that
arise from having the Spanish player outside the seeded players.
The
22-times Grand Slam champion announced on December 1 the news that his fans had
been waiting months to hear: the date of his return to the Tour. Rafa Nadal
decided to make his comeback at the ATP 250 Brisbane International Open on
December 31, aiming to gain momentum for the Australian Open in Melbourne from
January 14 to 28.
Nadal made
it public through a video, sparking reactions in the tennis world. Recently,
world No. 10 Taylor Fritz shared his impressions on Nadal's return:
“I expected
it, it’s Rafa,” he said. “I don’t think he was going to retire and not try his
luck again, so I expected him to come back at the beginning of the year after
the period of rest he’s had. So I think it’s good news for tennis as a whole.”
“I think it
might be difficult. He might be a bit rusty. I think it’s going to be pretty
crazy to have him in draws where he’s not seeded. Anyone can play Rafa in the
first round, so it will be pretty crazy!”
“He’s Rafa,
so I think even if he’s a bit rusty coming back or he needs a bit of time, he’s
still going to play really well and it’s still going to be difficult for a lot
of guys to play him early and in the draw simply because he’s not seeded.”
Fritz has a
2-2 record against Nadal and emerged victorious in their last encounter during
the 2022 ATP Finals in the round-robin stage. The American also won his first
and only Masters 1000 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, defeating the
Spanish player in the final. Nadal entered the match with a 20-0 streak that
year and suffered his first defeat against the Californian.
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