Picture Credit: Twitter
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal will be featuring at Paris Masters 2022 which gets underway on Monday (31 October). The 23-time Grand Slam champion has gotten a bye in his first round (being the No.2 seed) and will directly take part in the second round. So, Nadal made the most of this time and flew back to Spain to fulfil his groomsman’s duties.
The Spaniard halted his preparations midway and flew back to his country to take part in his childhood friend’s wedding ceremony. In a social media post by a guest at the event, the 23-time Grand Slam champion can be seen enjoying himself amid the celebrations. Nadal is seen in a black tuxedo and standing by his childhood friend and secondary coach Bartolome "Tomeu" Salva-Vidal.
He will soon return to Paris to resume his preparations for the opening match, which will be against either Roberto Bautista Agut or Tommy Paul. Meanwhile, Nadal is expected to face a stiff challenge from his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and long-time rival Novak Djokovic. The two players will stand in Nadal’s quest to win the season's final Master 1000 title.
While Djokovic is entering the tournament in top form having won both the Tel Aviv Open and the Astana Open, Carlos Alcaraz is also a top contender for the title in Paris. The young Spaniard’s confidence in performing at the highest level will also have received a boost following his US Open triumph. Alcaraz has shown that he is capable of beating Nadal.
Nadal, on the other hand, has had an injury-ridden year and is coming into the tournament after being on the sidelines since the US Open, except for a lone doubles contest alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup last month. But this may also work in his favour as the 36-year-old might have gotten the required break after an eventful year.