Rafael Nadal takes break from Paris Masters, flies back to Spain to serve as groomsman in friend's wedding

Rafael Nadal will soon be in action at the 2022 Paris Masters, which gets underway on Monday. As the No. 2 seed in the tournament, he got a first-round bye and will take to the court in the second round directly. He landed in Paris a few days ago as he began preparations for the season's final Masters 100 event.

However, the Spaniard flew back to Spain to be a groomsman at his friend's wedding. In a social media post by a guest at the event, the 23-time Grand Slam champion can be seen enjoying himself amid the celebrations.

Sporting a tuxedo, the 36-year-old stood by his childhood friend and secondary coach Bartolome "Tomeu" Salva-Vidal.

The Mallorcan will soon return to Paris to continue preparations for his opening match, which will be against either Roberto Bautista Agut or Tommy Paul.

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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz expected to be Rafael Nadal's strongest challengers at 2022 Paris Masters

Rafael Nadal in action at the 2020 Paris Masters.

As the excitement builds ahead of the 2022 Paris Masters, Rafael Nadal will be eager to do what he has yet to achieve in his career — win the season's final Masters 1000 title.

His quest for a maiden Paris Masters title will not be easy, thanks to the presence of several players who are well capable of taking home the trophy. His biggest and most notable challenge will come from his long-time rival Novak Djokovic, who enters the tournament in top form having won both the Tel Aviv Open and the Astana Open. The Serbian is now tied with Nadal for the most ATP singles wins this year.

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz is also a top contender for the title in Paris. His confidence in performing at the highest level will also have received a boost following his US Open triumph. A win in Paris will also go a long way in helping him cement his spot at the top of the ATP rankings at the end of the year.

Nadal, on the other hand, has had an injury-ridden year and is coming into the tournament after being on the sidelines since the US Open, except for a lone doubles contest alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup last month. Time will tell if the break in competitive action will help or hinder his performances in Paris this month.