'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rafael Nadal will begin his campaign at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters against Sebastian Korda on Saturday.
The Spaniard is chasing his fourth consecutive title of the year, having already won the Melbourne Summer Set, the Australian Open and the Mexican Open.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion is on a 15-match unbeaten streak since the beginning of the 2022 season, marking his best-ever start to a year.
The Mallorcan could not have asked for a better tournament at which to extend that streak, given he has won this event thrice before, in 2007, 2009 and 2013.
Trending
Where is Rafael Nadal playing?
Rafael Nadal is participating in the Indian Wells Masters, the first ATP 1000 event of the season. The hardcourt tournament is one of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar and is often considered the "fifth Slam."
The Indian Wells Masters was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held in October last year instead of its usual March slot. The former World No. 1 did not feature as he had already ended his season due to a persistent foot injury.
This means Nadal will be competing in Indian Wells for the first time since 2019. The World No. 4 progressed to the semifinals in the 2019 edition but was forced to withdraw before his match against Roger Federer with an injury.
Who is Rafael Nadal playing against?
Nadal, who is the fourth seed this year, will take on World No. 38 Sebastian Korda in his opener after receiving a bye in the first round. Korda defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Indian Wells Masters for the first time in his career.
The American is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the sport and lived up to the billing by reaching the title clash at the Next Gen Finals last year.
The 21-year-old has won six matches in 2022 so far, the most notable of which came against World No. 12 Cameron Norrie in the first round at Melbourne Park.
Nadal has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head against Korda, having won their encounter at Roland Garros in 2020 in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal vs Sebastian Korda match schedule
Their second-round match will be played during the day session on Saturday. It is the second scheduled fixture of the day at Stadium 1, following the clash between Daniil Medvedev and Tomas Machac.
Match timing: The match is slated to begin at approximately 12.30 pm local time (after the 11 am fixture between Medvedev and Machac comes to an end). For fans in the USA, UK, Canada and India, here are the broadcast timings:
Rafael Nadal vs Sebastian Korda streaming details
USA: Tennis Channel is the official broadcaster in the USA.
UK: UK viewers can follow the proceedings on Amazon Prime Video.
Canada: Viewers can catch the action on TSN.
India: In India, the match will be shown on Voot.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
