French Open 2022: Nadal soaks in Court Suzanne Lenglen's vibe ahead of 3rd round
13-time champion Rafael Nadal will take on Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round on Friday at Roland Garros' Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Follow'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal, who bagged his 300th Grand Slam match win against local boy Corentin Moutet, is all set to face Botic van de Zanschulp in the third round of the French Open 2022 on Friday.
Ahead of his clash with the Dutchman, the 13-time French Open champion took to Instagram to share a video of him soaking in the vibe of Court Suzanne Lenglen in Roland Garros.
The video captioned 'Bonjour Paris' shows the clay court's view from the stands, which will be packed with fans cheering when the Spanish aces walks in to seal a possible blockbuster clash against World No.1 Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final.
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In round two, the Spaniard earned his 300th Grand Slam win by beating French wildcard Corentin Moutet in straight sets. He is 107-3 at Roland Garros.
Also read: French Open 2022: Nadal lauds crowd at Roland Garros after 300th Grand Slam match win
"Preparation hasn't been perfect, so I didn't anticipate a perfect start to the tournament. But I have been quite well," Nadal said.
The Spaniard began the year on a 20-match winning run, including his triumph in Melbourne, but is without a title on clay this season after missing time with a rib injury and then suffering from a chronic foot injury.
"I can't try to go very deep in the tournament if I am worried about my physical issues every single day. So if something happens, it happens, and I am going to accept it, but for the moment I am focused on tennis," concluded Nadal, who will hope to win comfortably against the Flushing Meadows 2021 quarter-finalist today.
Meanwhile, Djokovic, who has reached the last eight or better in each of his past 12 visits to Roland Garros, will take on Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene.
"I'm just glad to play the way I have been playing the first two rounds," said Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling 21st major following his high-profile deportation ahead of the Australian Open in January.
"Everything is going in the right direction. I'm looking forward to the next challenge," the Serbian concluded.
