A great news will make happy Djokovic and Nadal’s fans
The Serb and the Spaniard will be present at a big tournament that will be played in the next few weeks
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s charisma is sorely missing on the ATP Tennis Tour. Young superstars like Jannik Sinner and Carlitos Alcaraz are captivating crowds with their rivalry, but the two youngsters still don’t have the same appeal and long tail of fans that they have characterized the careers of Nole and Rafa. Sinner and Alcaraz will achieve those numbers and that charisma, they are already doing so, but the road is long.
What the fans would like, before Rafael Nadal’s retirement, is to see the 22-time Slam champion challenge his Serbian rival on the court, one last time.
This could happen at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the last ATP Masters 1000 on clay-courts to be played on the eve of the Roland Garros.
In fact, at the moment, both Djokovic and Nadal are present in the official Entry List of the Italian Open, which will be played in Rome.
The Italian crowd obviously can’t wait to welcome Sinner, after the victory in the Davis Cup and the triumph at the Australian Open and the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami, but I’m ready to bet that many would be more than happy (to use a euphemism) to see a titanic clash between Djokovic and Nadal.
Djokovic and Nadal on the Italian Open Entry List
Sinner managed to excite millions of Italians thanks to the incredible feats achieved on the pitch and will lead an Italian group which, for the moment, will have seven players in the main draw.
The Rome tournament will take place from 8 to 19 May. Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will try to defend a title for the first time in his career, something the Russian has never managed until now.
Obviously the situation related to Rafael Nadal must be monitored. The Spanish champion is registered for the tournament, but explained in a recent interview that his current conditions do not allow him to establish a clear program to respect.
Nadal also questioned his presence in Barcelona and Madrid. As mentioned, there will be Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (the young Spaniard withdrew as a precaution from the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters due to an arm problem).
The Serbian star stopped in the quarter-finals last year while the young Spaniard disappointed expectations, being eliminated in the second round by Fabian Marozsan.
Last edition’s finalist Holger Rune will also be there, who is trying to regain his best level in recent weeks.
