Rafael Nadal typically hasn't faced much adversity when he has walked onto the grounds at Roland Garros. The 14-time French Open champion boasts a 112-3 all-time record at the event, but he faces a daunting challenge in his quest for a 23rd career Grand Slam title. Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3, won the French Open in 2022 but was not able to defend last year due to injury.
Age and injuries have caught up to the Spaniard, who is expected to make this his final run at Roland Garros. Already a longshot, Nadal's chances of a triumphant cap to his French Open resume took a significant hit with the release of the men's draw on Thursday. His first-round opponent will be fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who battled Nadal in the 2022 semifinals until being taken from the court in a wheelchair due to a major ankle injury.
Zverev is being offered at +650 by BetRivers to win the men's title -- the fourth-shortest odds in the draw and well ahead of Nadal, who is seventh at +1600. The pre-tournament favorite is Nadal's countryman, Carlos Alcaraz, at +240. Next is 24-time Grand Slam and defending French Open champion Novak Djokovic at +325.
Behind them is Jannik Sinner (+500), the Italian who claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. However, Sinner has been recovering from a hip injury that knocked him out of his home country's Internazionali BNL d'Italia earlier this month. The overall pool of players considered legitimate threats is relatively small.
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