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Rafael Nadal will kick off his 2024 French Open campaign against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in a highly anticipated first-round clash. It could be the last time he ever graces the Parisian crowd given that this could be his last season on tour.
Nadal's 2024 in retrospect never got going. He returned to action in Brisbane, beating Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, before going down to Jordan Thompson in the last eight. He suffered a micro-tear during that loss, which kept him sidelined through the Australian Open and Sunshine Double.
The Spaniard returned to action in Barcelona, but his clay homecoming was cut short by Alex de Minaur in the second round. Just when it looked like he'd gained some momentum in Madrid with three wins off the bounce, he suffered another disappointing defeat this time at the hands of Jiri Lehecka. Hubert Hurkacz dished out another defeat to the 37-year-old, downing him in the second round of the Italian Open.
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Nadal has made no public mention of retirement, but it is widely speculated that the 22-time Grand Slam champion will draw the curtains on his illustrious career at the end of this season.
Where is Rafael Nadal playing?
Rafael Nadal is set to take part in the 2024 French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year. It is played on the red clay at the Stade Roland Garros in the French capital.
Nadal has 14 French Open titles to his name, the most by any player in the open era. He also holds an impeccable 112-3 match record at the event. He last took part in the event in 2022, where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final. He was, however, unable to defend his points last year after he missed a big chunk of the 2023 season owing to injury.
Who is Rafael Nadal playing against?
Rafael Nadal is set to take on Alexander Zverev in a blockbuster first-round clash at the 2024 French Open.
Zverev heads into Paris on the back of an incredible week in Rome where he was crowned champion. He downed Aleksandar Vukic, Luciano Darderi, Nuno Borges, Taylor Fritz, and Alejandro Tabilo, before seeing off Nicolas Jarry in the finals to claim his sixth Master 1000 title and 22nd title overall.
Nadal leads Zverev 7-3 in the pair's head-to-head on tour. Their first-round clash is a re-match of their semifinal encounter back from 2022, where Zverev was forced to pull out with a horrific ankle injury he sustained in the second set with the score at 6-7, 6-6. Nadal went on to win that edition and Zverev was sidelined for nearly half a year.
Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev match schedule
The date and time for Rafael Nadal's match against Alexander Zverev will only be known closer to the event as the daily schedule of play isn't out yet.
Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev streaming details
Fans can catch the live action between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev, and the rest of the 2024 French Open on the respective websites and channels:
USA - NBC, Peacock, Tennis Channel, & Bally Sports
UK - Eurosport & Discovery+
Canada - TSN & RDS
India - Tennis Channel & Sony Network
France - France TV & Amazon Prime
Australia - Nine Network & Stan Sport
For more details about the live stream of the French Open, click here.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
