Renewed Confidence After Rome Masters Win
Not only did Nadal take home the title at Rome, he also dominated the whole week in the Italian Capital. Out of the 5 matches that Rafa played he won 4 without dropping a set.
In the 11 sets he played during the tournament, the King of Clay handed his opponents a bagel (6-0) in 3 sets and a breadstick (6-1) in 3 sets.
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Rafa was supposed to have a close final with his great rival Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard however seemed to be so dominant that he was in charge from start to finish. The Rome gave Nadal a much needed title. It will now boost his self belief to repeat history once again at the French Open.
Beating Djokovic Before Roland Garros
Barring a huge upset during the French Open, Nadal might face Novak Djokovic in the final. In the previous two Grand Slam matches the pair had played against each other at Wimbledon and Australian Open, it was the Serb who came out victorious.
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Many people had questioned Rafa’s self belief when he faces Novak. The great Spaniard put all these questions to silence not only by winning against his Serbian rival but the nature of the win. He dominated of both forehand and backhand wings and even handed a bagel to Djokovic. The win would give Rafa a necessary confidence if the two meet in Paris this June.
Match Practice Before Roland Garros
For much of the last year and a half, Nadal has had to pull out of events before crucial tournaments. He came to the Australian Open with less match practice and that showed in his final against Novak Djokovic.
This clay season however Nadal has managed to play all 4 big events. He has also faced many in form opponents like Fabio Fognini, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and of course Novak Djokovic. Nadal has also endured his share of defeats before regaining form in Rome.
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Nadal may not have a smooth sailing in Paris like 2017 and 2018 but he remains Number 1 Contender to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the 12th time.