20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is yet again in the semifinals of his beloved tournament, the French Open 2021. He will face Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to reach the final for the 14th time.

In the quarterfinals, the Spaniard lost a set for the first time since 2019 to Argentine Diego Schwartzman. Without looking into that too much, Nadal has his plan ready for the competition ahead.

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Rafael Nadal shares what he needs to do to win the French Open 2021 title

In a conversation with Eurosport UK, Nadal opened up on his battle against Schwartzman. He also explained why he doesn’t expect to win every match at Roland-Garros in straight sets.

“Yeah, a tough match in general, second set and the third too. I was trying to play a little more aggressive, but I was not finding the rhythm of the moment. It’s not much to lose a set no; I play against the best players of the world,” the Spaniard said.

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Additionally, the 13-time King of Roland-Garros stated that the energy is also back because of the crowd, and he is looking forward to the 5000 fans roaring in the stands.

Most significantly, the interviewer reminded Nadal that he has never lost at Roland-Garros after reaching the semifinal. In response to that, the Spaniard was grounded as usual and answered as a natural athlete.

“I don’t care what happened in the past,” Nadal said. “I just care about important victory for me, a day off tomorrow to practice well to keep going with the level that I showed at the end of the second and the third [set].”

Moreover, he also revealed his gameplay to complete his title defense for a fifth consecutive year. “Play aggressive, play my forehand down the line, and take the ball a little bit earlier, play a little bit longer,” the Spaniard added. “I found it in the end [against Schwartzman], and I hope to able to keep going.”

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Nadal and Djokovic to battle for the 58th time

Unquestionably, the semifinal between Nadal and Djokovic is one of the biggest matches of the year. Both would not want to settle for less than the title.

Speaking about the upcoming clash, the Serb confirmed that Nadal is his biggest rival. Hence, it would be interesting to see if he can manage to end the reign of the Spaniard in Paris.

The winner between the two will take on either of the next-generation players, Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev, in the final. The tennis world will have its French Open 2021 men’s singles winner on Sunday, June 13.

Who do you think will win this year?

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