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Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 16, 2021 Spain’s Rafael Nadal shakes hands with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after winning the final REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Reuters
Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 16, 2021 Spain’s Rafael Nadal shakes hands with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after winning the final REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have had contrasting starts to the 2022 season. The Spaniard is on a winning run, becoming the first man in history to lift 21 Grand Slam singles titles. On the other hand, Djokovic is yet to play a match this season. The Serb failed to defend his Australian Open title after his visa cancelation and subsequent deportation from Australia.
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While Djokovic will play his first tournament of this season at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Nadal is in Mexico to play at the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco. Both the events are ATP 500 tournaments commencing this week.
Rafael Nadal hopes to see Novak Djokovic in action at the Grand Slams
During the pre-tournament press conference in Mexico, Nadal opened up on the Serb’s participation in the coming Grand Slams. The Spaniard, who is looking to lift his fourth title in Acapulco, said, “It will affect his history if he can play or not. I don’t know if it will affect the Grand Slam.”
Further, he added, “Everyone makes their decisions and must live with them. In this sense, hopefully the pandemic improves in every way and leaves if there are deaths. Whether he is vaccinated or not, the good thing would be for Novak to play again. If Djokovic can play the ‘Grand Slams’ without being vaccinated, he is welcome.” (Translated using Google Translate)
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2018 French Open Tennis Tournament – Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia while playing a tie break doubles exhibition match against Simone Halep of Romania and Alexander Zverev of Germany on Court Philippe Chatrier during a packed Children’s Day at Roland Garros before the start of the 2018 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on May 26th 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Tennis stars in action this week
It will be an eventful and action-packed tennis week as nine out of the top-10 tennis stars will be in action at the two ATP 500 tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco. While Djokovic is the top seed in Dubai, Daniil Medvedev will lead the pack in Acapulco.
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Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022 Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in action during his semi final match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
The field in Dubai comprises the likes of Djokovic, Rublev, Felix Auger- Aliassime, Jannik Sinner, and others. On the other hand, Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Nadal, and Berrettini headline the Acapulco draw.
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