The 20 times Grand slam champion Rafael Nadal will kick-start his Rolex Masters campaign against Argentina player Federico Delbonis. As reported on the Twitter handle of the ATP tour, the Spaniard will take on the 30-year-old player in the first round of the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters.
The tournament is the first of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played on clay every year. Held around the scenic Monte-Carlo Country Club, the event continues with its years-old tradition of hosting the best names in the tennis world. Interestingly, Rafael Nadal has claimed this title 11 times till now, including an Open Era record involving eight straight wins between 2005-2012.
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Besides, this will come as the first event of Nadal’s 2021 clay-court campaign. The Spaniard has recently recovered from his back injury and is itching to make his comeback on his favorite court. Hence, he can take this event as a perfect preparation for his bid to win his favorite French open next month.
Nevertheless, he needs to go past some big names like Novak Djokovic, Fabio Fognini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Andrey Rublev to win this event for the 12th time.
Apart from Nadal, both Djokovic and Fognini have won this championship in the past. So, in order to prove his supremacy on the clay one more time, Nadal has to bring up something special against these big players.
Read More : Watch: Rafael Nadal’s Relentless Clay Court Parade Ahead of Monte Carlo Tournament
