A landslide victory as an antidote to doubts. The Spaniard Rafael Nadal began Like a hurricane the conquest of his fourteenth Roland Garros, with a brilliant victory against the Australian Jordan Thomson, by 6-2, 6-2 and 6-2, in two hours and two minutes.
In his first appearance after the problems in his left foot that diminished him in the last tournament in Rome, Nadal did not let him down. glimpse any flaw in his physique or in his tennis in a victory that leaves him one of the 300 in Grand Slam.
The low entity of the rival, 82 in the ranking, a tennis player who moves on clay like a fish on the sand of the beach, allows few conclusions to be drawn, but if one trusts sensations, the Mallorcan ;n left many good ones on the central track in Paris.
Despite this, he said he was aware that “there is significant room for improvement”, a path that he hopes to travel with work, to place himself in the best situation to win.
The scene of his 13 triumphs, the battlefield of his legend, who applauded see again in a splendid moment the player who has dominated the place the most in the last 18 years.
There are already 106 victories achieved in the tournament and only three defeats, two of They faced the Serbian Novak Djokovic, his executioner last year and on paper his main rival for this, with the permission of the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, the player who arrives with the best balance of wins on clay.
The Spaniard’s debut served, above all, to show that the pessimism that could emerge from his words after the tournament in Rome is relative. Two days ago the pain in his foot was part of his daily life, but it does not necessarily have to prevent him from playing a good game.
“At this point in my career it is a gift to be here. and to be able to compete in a Roland Garros. I’m going to do everything possible to give myself a chance to win.” from the track, which started a new ovation from the stands.
As if he wanted to reduce the illusion, after the match unfolded, Nadal indicated that the road is still long and that he will not travel it. with history, if not with work.
“It is an honor to be part of the history of this track (…) But I do not have to look back, I have to look forward, train and give myself chances of winning,” he added.
His next rival will be The French Corentin Moutet, 23 years old and 139 in the world, who after two editions falling in the first round managed to win. overcame it against the Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka, fourteen years older, winner in Paris 2015 but unable to return strongly to the circuit.
The Frenchman defeated him. 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) and 6-3, in almost three hours of play, to earn the right to face the tournament’s most successful player for the first time in his career .