Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane has chosen his pick to win the 2022 French Open in Paris this week. The Frenchman is an avid fan of tennis and has been spotted at various events over the years. Zidane was also spotted at Roland-Garros watching Rafael Nadal’s win over Botic van de Zandschulp in a third-round matchup.

With the domination of the Big 3 apparently coming to an end, the new generation of players seems to be inching closer to bigger honors in the sport. However, the legendary footballer Zidane feels that there is some fuel left in the tank for Nadal and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Who is Zizou’s pick to win Roland Garros 2022?

In an interview, Zidane admitted that Nadal is his pick to win the title for a staggering 14th time. He said, “The new generation is great, but I am from the older one. We’ll try and keep pushing Rafael Nadal [as the favourite for the French Open] if he can.”

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“He’s still here, so it would be great. But it’s true that the new generation with Carlos Alcaraz will eventually take over,” Zidane added.

The Frenchman attended the tournament 17 years ago, when he presented Rafael Nadal with ‘La Coupe des Mousquetaires’ for the first time in his career. Despite Nadal and Djokovic being in their mid-30s, the pair have won 4 of the last 5 Grand Slams.

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However, youngster Alcaraz isn’t far too behind after claiming his first and second ATP 1000 titles in Miami and Madrid this year. The 19-year-old also broke into the Top 10 of the rankings, rising to No. 6. Alcaraz also became the youngest player in the French Open’s fourth round since Novak Djokovic in 2006, after beating Sebastian Korda in straight sets.

Will Nadal win his second consecutive Grand Slam in 2022?

After a fairytale win in Melbourne earlier this year, Nadal was absent from the tour after suffering a rib injury. Subsequently, his return to the tour has been far from incredible. The Spaniard suffered losses in Madrid and Rome to Alcaraz and Dennis Shapovalov, respectively, looking far from his best. However, his first week in Paris has been impressive. He is set to face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16, who is coincidently coached by Nadal’s uncle, Toni.

The road ahead gets tougher with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, a possible quarter-final opponent. Will the ‘King of Clay’ overcome all odds to win a record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam?