Nadal bidding to avoid early French Open exit, Sinner shines

Paris: Rafael Nadal says he will be facing one of the toughest opponents possible when he plays Alexander Zverev in the French Open first round on M...

Paris: Rafael Nadal says he will be facing "one of the toughest opponents possible" when he plays Alexander Zverev in the French Open first round on Monday, after Jannik Sinner eased through his opener.

Second seed Sinner swatted aside Wimbledon quarter-finalist Christopher Eubanks 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 under the new roof on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

This year's event was expected to be 14-time champion Nadal's farewell to Roland Garros, but he has since insisted he could not confirm "100 percent" it would be his last appearance.

Nadal has only played four tournaments since January 2023 after suffering a hip injury and then a muscle tear.

That left him unseeded for the draw and vulnerable to a difficult opening round at a tournament where he has only lost three of his 115 matches.