Mexican Open 2022: Rafael Nadal's projected path to the final

Following his historic triumph in Australia, Rafael Nadal will make his return to professional tennis in Acapulco. The Spaniard, who took the lead in the Grand Slam race for the first time with his 21st Major, is currently unbeaten in 2022.

Nadal is vying for his fourth Mexican Open title but has a tricky path to the summit as he will be joined by an array of big names in the main draw.

On that note, here's a look at Rafael Nadal's projected path to the final in Acapulco:

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Rafael Nadal's first-round opponent - Reilly Opelka

Riley Opelka and Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal's first match in Acapulco is particularly tricky. The Spaniard faces the big-serving Reilly Opelka. Nadal defeated Opelka in their only previous encounter in Rome last year, but the 35-year-old is yet to face Opelka on hardcourts, where the American plays his best tennis.

Opelka is on a seven-match winning streak at the time of writing, with a title in Dallas and an upcoming final against Cameron Norrie in Delray Beach.

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Rafael Nadal's second-round opponent - Grigor Dimitrov/Maxime Cressy

The Spaniard with Grigor Dimitrov

Nadal could take on familiar foe Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. Despite a solid end to 2021, Dimitrov has been inconsistent this season and faces a difficult test in the form of Maxime Cressy in the first round.

Cressy lost to Nadal in the final of the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set but the American's serve and volley playing style has troubled some big names this season.

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Rafael Nadal's likely quarter-final opponent - Matteo Berrettini

Enter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionEnter captionMatteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal could take on fifth seed Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals. The Italian has been one of the most consistent performers on the ATP tour over the past few seasons. He is scheduled to play the final on clay in Rio and has the likes of Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda on his path in Acapulco.

Despite losing both his previous encounters against Nadal, most recently in the semifinals of the Australian Open, Berrettini's powerful game could prove to be a huge challenge for the Spaniard.

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Rafael Nadal's likely semi-final opponent - Daniil Medvedev

Rafael Nadal is likely to take on top seed Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals in Acapulco. The Spaniard has a commendable record against Medvedev, winning four of their five previous encounters.

However, the Russian has metronomic consistency on hardcourts, particularly in the best-of-three format. Medvedev is likely to come into the tournament hungry to usurp the top spot in the rankings from Novak Djokovic. He also has a slightly less challenging path to the semifinals compared to Nadal.

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Rafael Nadal's likely final opponent - Stefanos Tsitsipas/Alexander Zverev

Stefanos Tsitsipas (L) and Rafael Nadal

Second seed Alexander Zverev and third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas are Nadal's likely opponents if he makes it to the final. Both players arrive in Acapulco in inconsistent form and will be vying for their first title of the year.

Following the Australian Open, Tsitsipas lost in the semifinals in Rotterdam and the quarterfinals in Marseille, while Zverev bowed out of the final in Montpellier. The Greek's well-rounded game has posed a few problems on both clay and hardcourt, but it is Zverev's powerful style of play that Nadal has struggled against more.

Although the path to the Mexican Open title looks daunting for Nadal, he will head into the tournament relishing the challenge as he always does.

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Also Check Out : Mexican Open 2022 Schedule