Waiting for the Djokovic - Nadal battle at Rome Masters

The Rome Masters is missing two young stars in the world's top 3, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, so the attention is focused on the two monuments Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The draw results put the two greatest tennis players in history in two different brackets, making fans start to think about a dream final between Nole and Rafa.

"I'm getting better and better," Nadal said at a press conference ahead of his first-round match against world number 108 Zizou Bergs in the Rome Masters. "It's nice to be able to go out there and finish matches. A month ago I didn't think this would happen. I'm excited that my body allows me to continue."

The match between Nadal and Bergs will take place at 6pm today, May 9. Djokovic is exempt from the first round and will play Corenttin Moutet or Roman Safiullin in the second round.

The journey of the two legends at the tournament will be extremely difficult, especially Nadal. If he beats Bergs, the "King of Clay" will face seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. If all goes well, Nadal will play clay expert Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the next round.

The stakes rise in the fourth round, with 10th seed Holger Rune a potential opponent for the 22-time Grand Slam winner. Nadal could then face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, and Madrid Open champion Andrey Rublev in the semis.

In the other draw, Djokovic could face 29th seed Alejandro Tabilo in the third round and 16th seed Karen Khachanov in the fourth round. Potential quarterfinal pairings based on seedings at the Rome Masters are Djokovic vs. Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev vs. Grigor Dimitrov, Medvedev vs. Hurkacz and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Andrey Rublev.

The last time Djokovic met Nadal was in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros 2022, with the "King of Clay" winning. In Rome, Nadal and Djokovic last met in the 2021 final, also won by the Spaniard. Nadal holds the record of 10 titles at the Rome Masters.

Speaking about Nadal, Djokovic admired his long-time rival, saying that the Spanish player was the strongest wall at Roland Garros as well as tennis.

"For me, Nadal is the biggest challenge at Roland Garros," Djokovic said at a press conference at the Rome Masters on May 8. "If he's inspired, Nadal almost never misses a shot at Roland Garros. He's like an impenetrable wall, an incredible athlete."

According to Djokovic, Roland Garros is the main target for both him and Nadal, who are at the end of their careers. "I'm sure Roland Garros is a special place for him, as well as Madrid and Rome," the Serbian added. "Roland Garros has seen great records for Nadal. The court is big, there's a lot of space, it's suitable for someone who likes to sit deep like him. I've probably played him there more than anyone else and I know how difficult it is."

Djokovic has played Nadal 10 times at Roland Garros and won two matches, the 2021 semi-finals and the 2015 quarter-finals. Last year, the "King of Clay" was absent due to injury, while Djokovic won his third title in Paris.

Both Djokovic and Nadal have struggled this season. While the Serb has been out of form, Nadal has struggled to reach full fitness after a long injury layoff. Djokovic said he has been working with new members of his coaching staff, after parting ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic and fitness expert Marco Panichi. Nadal has been pleased with his recent improvements on the court, after playing in tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid.

Nadal still leaves open the possibility of playing Roland Garros - the Grand Slam on his favorite clay court. He does not want to push his body to the limit because of the injuries that still haunt him. The 22-time Grand Slam winner believes that he is no longer suitable for hard courts and the increasingly fast matches. Nadal said: "When you change surfaces, you are more susceptible to injuries, which happened to Alcaraz and Sinner recently. But we cannot complain because that is sport. You need to recover, come back and find your form."