Monte Carlo Masters 2021: Rafael Nadal vs Federico Delbonis preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (3) Rafael Nadal vs (Q) Federico Delbonis

Date: 14 April 2021

Tournament: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Claycourt

Prize money: €2,082,960

Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 6.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Rafael Nadal vs Federico Delbonis preview

11-time champion Rafael Nadal will kickstart his 2021 Monte Carlo Masters campaign with a second-round match against qualifier Federico Delbonis. Delbonis ousted Adrian Mannarino in the first round on Tuesday, winning 7-5, 6-1.

Nadal's record at the Monte Carlo Masters is his second best among all tournaments, behind only Roland Garros. The 20-time Major champion has a 94% win-loss ratio at Monte Carlo, which is a shade lower than that at Paris (98%).

Nadal recently revealed he has seen the last of the back issue that had troubled him during the Australian Open earlier this year. The 34-year-old believes he is in good shape for the clay swing, and is hopeful of putting together another strong run in his favorite part of the season.

That said, Nadal might be a little concerned about the recent turn of events at Monte Carlo, which saw Daniil Medvedev test positive for COVID-19. The Spaniard had practiced with Medvedev on Monday, fueling rumors that his participation in Monte Carlo might be at risk.

Nadal will continue to undergo COVID tests over the next few days, given his recent proximity with Medvedev. But according to most reports, the World No. 3 will take the court for his match against Federico Delbonis.

Nadal will start vs Delbonis.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) April 13, 2021

Federico Delbonis, meanwhile, comes into this match with more recent match practice than Rafael Nadal. However, his 6-4 win-loss claycourt record this year is not something that will give him a lot of hope ahead of his encounter against the King of Clay.

Rafael Nadal vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head

Rafael Nadal after beating Federico Delbonis at the 2020 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal leads Federico Delbonis by a margin of 4-0 in the head-to-head. Delbonis is yet to win a set against the Spaniard, and has managed to break serve just twice in all the matches combined.

Rafael Nadal vs Federico Delbonis prediction

Given Rafael Nadal's prowess on clay and his record at Monte Carlo, it is difficult to imagine anything but a win for the third seed against Federico Delbonis.

While Delbonis has posted almost all of his best results on clay, he hasn't done particularly well in Monaco. In fact, the 2021 edition is the first time the 30-year-old has managed to make it as far as the second round.

We can expect Nadal to come racing off the blocks in this match, given that he is playing on his favorite surface and that too at one of his best tournaments. Delbonis is likely to face the full force of Nadal's powers, and not many in history have been able to withstand that.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.