"He's no longer my idol because now I'm on tour, but I started playing tennis while watching him" - Corentin Moutet on Rafael Nadal ahead of 2R clash at French Open

Corentin Moutet might have idolized Rafael Nadal in his youth, but when they face off against each other in the second round of the 2022 French Open, the Frenchman has no plans to take it easy against the Spaniard.

The Mallorcan defeated Jordan Thompson in straight sets in his opener in Paris, while Moutet prevailed over three-time Major winner Stan Wawrinka in four sets to set up an exciting second-round showdown. Moutet and Nadal have never faced off against each other before.

Speaking at his press conference after beating Wawrinka, the World No. 139 recalled how he was inspired to play tennis by watching Nadal as a young kid. But the 23-year-old stressed he would set aside all adulation and give the 21-time Grand Slam champion as competitive a match as possible on Wednesday.

"I'm not sure it will be on the center court, but Rafa, it's my dream. He's no longer my idol because now I'm on the tour, but I started playing tennis while watching him. I remember his first Grand Slam," Moutet said. "I even imitated him when I was a kid. Of course I will try to win because I'm a competitor and it's my profession. I train every day to play these kinds of matches and win."

The Frenchman said he wanted to see for himself what it was like to play against a legend of the game.

"But already to play against him, I have never played against [Nadal], so to see how it feels, what type of player he is, it's a chance that I deserve," Moutet said. "I'm very happy to have won the ticket to play against him."

"Rafael Nadal has impressive mental strength; I don't want to count on his injuries" - Corentin Moutet

During the press conference, Corentin Moutet was also asked about his thoughts on Rafael Nadal's latest injury concerns. The Spaniard appeared to be in severe pain during his loss against Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open, leading many to question his status as the favorite to win the 2022 French Open.

But Moutet shot down the claims, remarking that the 21-time Grand Slam champion was fully capable of grinding out wins despite being injured.

"It would be stupid to let myself be influenced by [Nadal's recent injury concerns], because he won the Australian Open, if I'm not mistaken. He had beautiful victories, and then of course he lost matches," Moutet said. "I saw that he has played a lot of matches while injured and won many. He has impressive mental strength, so I don't want to count on his injuries."

The 23-year-old said he expects a "very, very tough" match against the 13-time French Open champion.

"Rafa injured can play excellent tennis, and he has proved it, 21 Grand Slams. I'm sure he hasn't won all of them without any pain. So I'll have a very, very tough match, and is he injured or not, I don't care. I'm not going to elaborate on that," Moutet said. "We will see."

---

Also Check Out :- French Open Winners