Very seldom does one see a packed house at the Philippe Chatrier when a practice match occurs. However, if one of those players is Rafael Nadal, it’s a different story. Recently, as the 14-time Roland Garros winner was playing a warm-up game against Danish star Holger Rune, he won a point after quite a rally and that made the crowd go berserk.
After driving a record crowd in Rome at the Italian Open 2024, Rafael Nadal is surely the biggest attraction at this year’s French Open. Fans realize that the biggest star this tournament has ever seen could be playing his last tournament here. Therefore, to ensure he performs well, Rafael Nadal has been playing practice matches with some big players.
Before Rune, he has already played with Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka. The Spaniard won both of those encounters.
As for the point he scored against Holger Rune, it started with an innocuous serve from the Dane. As Nadal hit it back, a rally formed in no time. After a while, Rune hit a volley, for which Nadal was ready. He perfectly hit it back, but Rune collected it, only to hit another volley. This time, Nadal hit the ball back with a greater pace and Rune missed it.
The crowd rose in unison with an echo that reverberated throughout the stadium. It was Kids Day at the Philippe Chatrier Court, and nothing made the young French crowd happier than seeing Rafael Nadal win.
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Nadal won his practice match against Rune. It was especially imperative for him since he has a tough draw at this year’s French Open.
How Rafael Nadal Bossed Practice Matches Before His Match Against Alexander Zverev
Rafael Nadal’s win against Rune, Medvedev, and Wawrinka will put him in a good headspace before starting his campaign against Alexander Zverev. Zverev, who is the 4th seed in the tournament, is not known for being a pushover. Given that this will be the first Grand Slam Nadal will play as an unseeded player since the 2005 Australian Open, his opponents will be tough right from the beginning.
Medvedev, who lost his practice match against Nadal, believes that the Spaniard is playing better tennis here than in the Italian Open and Madrid Open.
Therefore, he is glad to not face him in his draw. He feels it will be tough for Zverev to get past his first-round hurdle. Despite coming off an injury, Rafael Nadal is never easy to beat at Roland Garros.
The Zverev vs Nadal match is scheduled to start at 8:30 am Eastern Time and 12:30 pm GMT on Monday. The match will stream live on the Tennis Channel, NBC, and Peacock in the US. In the UK and other parts of Europe, it will stream on the Eurosport app and Discovery+ channel.
