Barcelona, Apr 16:
Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will take on Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Barcelona Open 2024. Nadal will make his much-awaited return to the men’s tour later in the evening today.
Rafa Nadal has confirmed he will play this week’s Barcelona Open in what will be the Spaniard’s first tournament since January. “I arrived here a bit like in a last minute decision as I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said. “Tomorrow I’m going to be on the court.” The 37-year-old Nadal, whose last ATP Tour match was in Brisbane in January, withdrew from last week’s Monte Carlo Masters, saying his body was not ready.
The 37-year-old has prioritized his recovery since then and will be raring to go in the Barcelona Open. He has an incredible record at the ATP 500 tournament, capturing the title 12 times at the iconic venue.
The head-to-head between Nadal and Cobolli is poised at 0-0. The duo have never faced each other on the main tour.
Flavio Cobolli, meanwhile, has made a decent start to the season by amassing nine wins from 17 matches, including quarterfinal appearances in Marseille and Delray Beach.
