Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic for final time at French Open? It's a possibility believes Andy Roddick
ATP
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic could feasibly face off for the final time in the first round of the French Open believes Andy Roddick with the former World No.1 throwing the possibility in the air during his latest episode of Served.
Nadal will enter unseeded as he gets in through a protected ranking so will be a big name lurking and one to look out for no matter who he plays and given his prowess on clay will be a tough match however he goes about it in terms of fitness. He leads Djokovic 8-2 in terms of clay head-to-head and the duo are winding down at different times so it is unlikely they will play competitively again. But it could also throw up a passing of the torch match with Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz being possibilities for Nadal.
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Or he could get a good route through and face an ailing seed. But this will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Tennis fans will potentially look to that match-up though and Roddick is one of those.
"Any injury from here on out could be the last injury. I still feel if he gets matches in and if he gets a clean bill of health for two or three events going into Roland Garros, certainly one of the favorites," the American said.
"Also, something that’s not talked about enough right now, he goes in unseeded… we could potentially have a Rafa-Novak first round [at French Open]," the former US Open champion added.
But despite Tsitsipas' notion of Nadal being still dangerous being snubbed as 'stupid', Roddick carried a similar sentiment about Roland Garros. "I could tell you if I was one of the top seeds, who I would not wanna play first round, if he’s just floating in the draw, is a guy who’s won that event 14 times," he commented.

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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