'He is not hampered.........' - Tennis coach Brad Gilbert opens up on Rafael Nadal’s draw vs Alexander Zverev in opening round of French Open 2024

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has been back on the court, as he will be next seen in action at the French Open 2024, which is set to commence on May 26 in Paris. Notably, the Spaniard, who is unseeded as of now, will be facing Rome Masters winner Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the game. However, for the same reason, Coco Gauff's coach, Brad Gilbert, has shared his opinion.

The former world number one has seen a major fall in his rankings over the past few years. Notably, the legendary player has been out of action for two years due to his constant struggles with hip injuries and muscle tears, which have ruled him out of the game. These injuries have further impacted his career's rankings.

“If you are not seeded, you can play anyone of the other 127 players in the draw 1st rd, the tournament could have chosen to seed Vamos-Rafa but hardly ever change the seeds here to my knowledge, this is how a random draw comes out for better or worse. Today, it is his sporting level, it seems, which has fallen. He is not hampered. So, we will not adjust the seedings in his favour,” Gilbert posted on his official X account today. '

I’m going to play the French Open thinking that I can give my all, 100 per cent: Rafael Nadal

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has enjoyed a remarkable run at the French Open 2024. He is all set to take on Zverev for the eleventh time in his career, following winning the event with a record of 112–3. In their previous meeting at Roland Garros in 2022, Nadal beat Zverev 7-3 to lead the head-to-head count. Zverev was forced to withdraw from the semifinal match, because of an ankle injury. Meanwhile, fans are excited to witness their battle on the same court this time, with Nadal giving it his best. 

“I’m going to play the French Open thinking that I can give my all, 100 percent,” Rafael Nadal said after his second-round exit from Rome. While the world awaits to see how the tournament unfolds, we all hope that his first round against Zverev further proves his dominance on the clay court rather than make the other reality come true.