After being absent due to injury in 2023, the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (305°) met his possible rivals in it main box of the Rome Masters 1000where he was consecrated 10 times, being the highest historical champion.
The draw ruled that the 37-year-old left-hander from Manacos, who will use the protected rankingdebuted for the last time on the Italian clay court against a rival from the qualifying stagea phase in which experienced players such as the French Richard Gasquet (113°), the Argentine Diego Schwartzman (142°) and the Romanian Radu Albot (135°), among others, still compete.
If he surpasses his debut, the owner of 92 titles, who recently said goodbye in Madrid, falling in the round of 16 against the Czech Jiri Lehecka, will settle against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz (9th), who inaugurated his record on clay in Estoril, an opponent against whom he has no record.
Already in third roundthe pupil of Carlos Moyá could battle for a place in the top 16 against the winner of the duel between the Argentine Tomas Etcheverry (28th) and the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild (61°); Meanwhile in round of 16 to the winner of the lawsuit between the Dane Holger Rune (12th) and the Argentine Sebastian Baez (19th).
Later, in the quarter finalshe would collide with the first Top 10 on his way, fighting against the Russian Daniil Medvedev (4th), defending champion and second favorite, as a result of the losses of the host Jannik Sinner (2nd) and the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz (3rd), who lose 5-1 in the history between themselves, highlighting the final of Montreal 2019, US Open 2019 and Australian Open 2022.
If his physical condition and level allow it, the former world number 1 will seal his 13th classification towards semi-finalsan instance in which he could face the Russian Andrey Rublev (6°), to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (8th) or Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (20°), as well as in the decisive meeting he would have to define against the Serbian Novak Djokovic (1st), the German Alexander Zverev (5th), the Norwegian Casper Ruud (7°) or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (10°).
