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

The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, returns to the French Open seeking a 14th title in Paris, along with a record-extending 22nd Major. The most decorated player in the history of the tournament, the Spaniard will have to handle his fitness and some tough opponents if he wants to triumph once again.

Nadal's chronic foot injury flared up during his loss at the Italian Open. Although he's set to compete in Paris, there are concerns regarding his fitness. He had earlier spent six weeks on the sidelines following a rib injury he picked up at Indian Wells.

But Nadal has managed to overcome plenty of hardships to emerge victorious in the past and could well do so again.

On that note, let’s take a closer look at Rafael Nadal's projected path to the final of the French Open:

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Rafael Nadal's 1st-round opponent - Jordan Thompson

Nadal will begin his 2022 French Open campaign against World No. 82 Jordan Thompson. The Australian has won just one main-draw match on clay at the ATP level this year and is unlikely to challenge the former World No. 1.

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Rafael Nadal's likely 2nd-round opponent - Stan Wawrinka

The last time Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka faced off at the French Open was in the final of the 2017 edition. Wawrinka is on the comeback trail and won his first couple of matches at the Italian Open last week. Nadal leads 19-3 in the head-to-head and should be able to overcome any resistance put up by the Swiss.

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Rafael Nadal's likely 3rd-round opponent - Fabio Fognini

Fognini has previously defeated Nadal at some of the biggest tournaments in the world. He famously knocked the Spaniard out of the 2015 US Open by staging an incredible comeback after trailing by two sets.

Fognini has also won thrice on clay against the former World No. 1, but the Italian's inconsistent game isn't likely to trouble Nadal at his favorite Slam.

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Rafael Nadal's likely 4th-round opponent - Felix Auger-Aliassime / Reilly Opelka

Felix Auger-Aliassime heads into the French Open in good form after reaching the quarterfinals of four straight events. The Canadian has also reached at least the quarter-final stage of the previous three Majors. However, he is yet to win a match at the French Open. If he does get to the fourth round this time, he could put up a fight against Nadal, especially if the Spaniard's foot injury flares up again.

Nadal will probably have a better shot at progressing if he faces Reilly Opelka. The American won the ATP 250 event in Houston on clay a few weeks ago, but failed to win a match in his next three tournaments. He snapped his losing streak in Geneva, where he's in the semifinals at the time of writing. Nadal leads Opelka 2-0 in the head-to-head.

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Rafael Nadal's likely quarter-final opponent - Novak Djokovic

Nadal's arch-rival and defending champion Novak Djokovic could await the Spaniard in the quarterfinals. The World No. 1 ended the Spaniard's title defense in the semifinals last year. The Serb is in great form at the moment and won the Italian Open in the lead-up to Roland Garros.

Given his form, Djokovic will be the favorite to win this contest, but one can never rule out Nadal at the French Open.

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Rafael Nadal's likely semi-final opponent - Carlos Alcaraz / Alexander Zverev

A potential semi-final showdown with the in-form Carlos Alcaraz is on the cards for Nadal. The teenager is on a 10-match winning streak and has won consecutive titles in Barcelona and Madrid. Alcaraz defeated his idol en route to the title in Madrid and has the potential to do so again.

Should Alcaraz falter early on, Nadal could face Alexander Zverev in the last four. The German has had a pretty good clay season, reaching the final in Madrid and the semifinals in Rome and Monte-Carlo. However, he is yet to defeat a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. It seems unlikely that he'll break that streak against the Spaniard.

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Rafael Nadal's likely opponent in the final - Stefanos Tsitsipas

With almost all the big names on one side of the draw, Stefanos Tsitsipas is the firm favorite to reach the final from the bottom half. The Greek was the runner-up last year. He led Djokovic by two sets to love, but the Serb staged a remarkable turnaround to deny the Greek a maiden triumph at a Major.

Over the past few seasons, Tsitsipas has become a legitimate threat on clay. He successfully defended his Monte-Carlo Masters title this year and reached the final of the Italian Open. Should Nadal face him in the final, he will be put to the test.

Should Tsitsipas be upset in the early rounds, Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner are the other contenders to make the final. Daniil Medvedev is also in this half of the draw, but his resume on clay isn't impressive and considering he's just returned from injury, isn't likely to make it very far.