Rafael Nadal 'will always be one of the favourites' for French Open admits Stan Wawrinka

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 21:30

Stan Wawrinka expressed his opinion that Rafael Nadal will be one of the favorites in the 2024 French Open. The 3-times Grand Slam champion believes that the Spanish player has a good chance of clinching the trophy at Roland Garros if he arrives in good physical condition.

The Swiss tennis legend participated in the first round of the 2024 Rio Open but was defeated by the recent champion in Buenos Aires, Facundo Díaz Acosta. Wawrinka responded to an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca and discussed Nadal's prospects in the upcoming major.

Nadal's favoritism at Roland Garros

The Spanish player boasts 14 titles on the clay courts of Paris, and according to Wawrinka, he has good chances of claiming the trophy if he remains injury-free. Wawrinka stated, "If he is healthy, he will always be one of the favorites wherever he goes. He's missing games. He has won so many times at Roland Garros that he will always be the favorite. There is no one who knows the tournament better," the Swiss said.

"Rafa is a great champion and he has already been injured before and came back. It doesn't matter what you have earned or how much money you have, if you feel that passion you want to continue. In Brisbane, he was playing at a high level before getting injured again. If he is healthy he will be a danger to everyone and a candidate for big titles," Wawrinka said.

When does Nadal return to competition?

The 22-times Grand Slam champion made his comeback at the Brisbane International, showcasing good form with victories over Dominic Thiem (7-5, 6-1) and Jason Kubler (6-1, 6-2). However, he faced a quarterfinal defeat against the local player Jordan Thompson, squandering a match point.

While there were expectations for his return at the Qatar Open this week, Nadal has ultimately decided to postpone his comeback until Indian Wells, where he will use a Protected Ranking to participate in his second tournament of the year.

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11:40 PM · Feb 20, 2024

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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