Rafael Nadal dubbed a 'floater disruptor' for the first time in Roland Garros draw by Andy Roddick with potential Alcaraz or Djokovic draw
ATP
As Rafael Nadal prepares for his final Roland Garros, Andy Roddick has called him a 'floater disruptor' for the first time in the draw despite the Spaniard being a 14-time French Open champion going into the tournament.
This is due of course to Nadal being unseeded and not being given a handout from the tournament so he could face Carlos Alcaraz for instance or Novak Djokovic in the very first round. He also said that Nadal's preparation for Roland Garros last week in Madrid couldn't have gone better and really stokes the fire ahead of that.
But also he sees that maybe it could spell an interesting second round for him which will then be heavily discussed for a few days so either way it is win win for Nadal and the media at that with his potential draw gleaming a big tie. He will next play this week in Rome where he faces a qualifier to open then likely Hubert Hurkacz.
“I’m excited and it’s also going to be really fun when the draw comes out and Rafa is a floater in that draw. What seed could potentially get rougher first round," said Roddick on his latest episode of the Served podcast.
“I don’t know that there’s been as fun of a kind of a floater disruptor like he’s never played that role there not one time I mean imagine if he go like Alcaraz first round. He could play Novak in the first round of a Grand Slam. Or do you get like the second round match-up where we get to talk about it for three [days]?
“This is just great where we were a week ago versus where we are now with Rafa [it] could not have gone better on all fronts.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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