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Reuters

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Reuters

With the French Open 2021 drawing closer, players have been training with great intensity. When it comes to Roland Garros, the biggest challenge for any player is to beat Rafael Nadal. Over the years, the 34-year-old player has dominated the scenes in Paris, winning the competition a staggering 13 times. 

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Recently, Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz revealed his desire to beat the 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal, in Paris. When asked about his dream win, Alcaraz said, “Now in Paris, against Rafa. I hope.” But in this sport, that is probably the toughest challenge.

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Rafael Nadal go the better of Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid

There is no harm in dreaming big and it indicates the will of the youngster to do wonders in the future. Speaking of these two players, they faced each other a couple of weeks ago in Madrid. It was a dream for the teenager to play against his idol. However, Rafa gave Alcaraz a battering and beat him with ease. 

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Interestingly, the match happened on the youngster’s 18th birthday and he will probably never forget the memorable experience. However, he may not have been happy with the outcome on the occasion. 

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Carlos Alcaraz played at the Australian Open and made it to the second round. At the Mutua Madrid Open this year, he won a match, making him the youngest player to win a match at this event. The record was previously held by Rafa. 

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Nadal has bounced back on the clay courts

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Nadal competed at the Australian Open this season. After registering impressive performances in the initial rounds, he lost in the quarterfinal. During the quarterfinal, he was two sets up before losing the net three sets against Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

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During the clay-court events, Rafa won the Barcelona Open and the Italian Open in Rome. As the French Open draws closer, the 13-time champion will be the player to beat. As of now, he is tipped to lift the title for the 14th time in his career once Roland Garros begins on May 30.

Also Read: Why Is Dominic Thiem Facing Issues on Clay Unlike Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

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Rohan Kollare

1,671 Articles

Rohan Kollare is a Tennis author at EssentiallySports. Rohan has studied Sports Management and has a trophy cabinet adorned with accolades won in district and state-level tennis competitions. He has previously worked in Content Operations for Disney’s Hotstar for over a year, covering Tennis and Formula One. Rohan's experience as a player gives him the ability to provide incisive analysis of the game rather than a superficial understanding. When not staunchly supporting his idol Roger Federer, Rohan likes to dive into animal welfare work, get lost in a book or listen to some music.

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