"Never in my wildest dreams did I think he'd win Australian Open, so I'm going to remain hopeful" - Tennis fans react as Rafael Nadal confirms French Open participation

Fans of Rafael Nadal had a major scare last week as the Spaniard aggravated a foot injury in his loss to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open. With around 10 days left until the French Open, there were doubts about his participation on the red dirt of Paris.

However, the Spaniard announced he would soon travel to Paris for the Major. In an Instagram post, Nadal put up a picture of himself practicing in Mallorca and confirmed his participation at the French Open.

Fans flocked to social media to express their excitement over Nadal's announcement, although there were a few who displayed some concern as well.

"Well, never in my wildest dreams did I think he’d win AO, so I’m going to choose to remain hopeful," one fan wrote.

"We can only hope that Rafa is fully recovered. Yes, the foot injury is concerning. But never ever count Rafael Nadal out especially at the tournament that is the true decider of tennis greatness for the history-Roland Garros," another fan wrote.

Known for his perseverance and endurance, the 35-year-old has fought multiple injuries over the years. His recurring foot injury is due to a condition known as Mueller-Weiss Syndrome and has troubled him for many years. However, the Spanish superstar has managed his injury quite impressively so far.

One fan hailed the Spaniard's ability to keep fighting through injuries.

"Rafa’s resilience and his love for the sport and love for competing never ceases to amaze and inspire me," said a post from another account.

Other fans were concerned that the Spaniard might not be fully fit ahead of his favorite tournament.

"Basically, Rafa is in pain. It would be nothing new but apparently he’s in way more pain than he should before a tournament. We can only wait and hope," a fan expressed.

Is Rafael Nadal still the favorite to win French Open 2022 title?

Mutua Madrid Open - Day Nine

The man with the most titles ever on clay, Rafael Nadal enters the 2022 French Open without having played a single final on the surface this year. This has led to bookmakers passing on the 13-time champion as the favorite for the Roland Garros crown.

His all-time great rival Novak Djokovic has emerged as the new top favorite, followed by Carlos Alcaraz, who has made waves this season.

The likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are also strong contenders and it'll be interesting to see how these players fare in the tournament this year.

Djokovic is the defending champion, having beaten Nadal and Tsitsipas en route to the title last year.

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Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Schedule