Rafael Nadal: Who is his US Open first round opponent David Ferrer?
RAFAEL NADAL begins his US Open campaign on Monday and Express Sport gives you all you need to know about his opponent David Ferrer.
Rafael Nadal practices ahead of US Open Championships
Nadal won the US Open in 2017 as he took full advantage of a draw that was without five of the ATP’s Top 11 men.
And this year he arrives in New York as the favourite to retain the trophy.
The Spaniard will be full of confidence having won the Rogers Cup in Toronto, his 33rd Masters 1000 title.
“[The result in] Toronto gave me the possibility to rest a little bit.
"You know, I’m getting a little bit older, as everybody knows.
“I’m trying to save my body to play as long as possible.
"It’s something that I’m really looking forward to making happen. And that’s it. "I rested, I practiced, and here I am.”
If Nadal is successful in New York, it would be the fourth time he has completed a French Open-US Open double.
David Ferrer
Age
36
World Ranking
148
Land
Spanien
Results in 2018 Grand Slams
Australian Open - Lost first round to Andrey Rublev 5-7 7-6(6) 2-6 7-6(6) 2-6
French Open - Lost first round to Jaume Munar 6-3 6-3 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 5-7
Wimbledon - Lost first round to Karen Khachanov 1-6 6-7(3) 6-3 5-7
2017 US Open result
Lost first round to Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 3-6 2-6 1-6
Head to Head
Nadal holds a 24-6 lead over Ferrer.
Ferrer won their first ever meeting in Stuttgart in 2004 but Nadal has gone on to dominate their matches.
Their last meeting was in 2015 at the ATP World Tour Finals - Nadal won in three sets on that occasion.
Nadal's projected draw
First round: D Ferrer
Second round: V Pospisil or L Lacko
Third round: K Khachanov
Round of 16: K Edmund
Quarter-final: K Anderson
Semi-final: JM del Potro
Final: R Federer