"Rafael Nadal is the greatest inspiration we have in our sport, maybe not the only one in our sport, but in sport in general" - Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner recently spoke about Rafael Nadal's presence at the 2024 French Open. He stated that he is "lucky" to be continuing to see and learn from the Spaniard on the tour and to be able to compete alongside him .

Nadal, a 14-time champion at Roland Garros, will kick off his campaign against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the first round. Meanwhile, Sinner, seeded second, will face American Christopher Eubanks in his opening match.

During a pre-tournament press conference, Sinner discussed the challenge of playing against Nadal, especially on clay. He stated that it is "tough" facing the Spaniard regardless of the playing surface.

The World No.2 acknowledged that competing against the 22-time Grand Slam champion is tough but crucial for his growth as a player, as playing against him highlights areas he needs to improve and in turn helps him refine his game

Jannik Sinner said that playing against the best players in the world is a "special feeling."

“It's tough to play against him [Rafael Nadal] and I think everyone would agree on that. But for me it was very good because when I was younger, to see where I have to improve, these kinds of matches, when you play against the best in the world, it's a special feeling," Sinner said. [3:59]

Sinner said that while initially challenging, playing against top players offers valuable "feedback" into areas for improvement.

"In the beginning you are surprised because you are not used to it, to playing against the best, but this is what I am searching every week where I play. I want to measure myself against the best players in the world then you have a good feedback where to improve. I think it's all about trying to understand what makes a better player, not only tennis-wise but physically and mentally," he added.

The Italian described Rafael Nadal as one of the biggest "inspirations" in tennis and said that he considers himself "lucky" to have the opportunity to share an arena with Nadal and see him practice with "passion."

"He [Rafael Nadal] for sure is the biggest inspiration we have in our sport. Maybe not the only one in our sport, but in sport in general. So I consider myself lucky that I am here, that I can continue to see him in the locker rooms, or in the players' restaurant or see him practice with (the) passion he has, it's amazing,” Sinner said.

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Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner have met twice at French Open

Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal at French Open 2021

Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal have faced each other three times on the ATP Tour, with two of those match-ups occurring at the French Open.

Their first meeting at Roland Garros took place in 2020 in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard defeated Sinner in straight sets with a score of 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1. Nadal went on to defeat Diego Schwartzman in the semifinals and Novak Djokovic in the championship match with a dominating score of 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to claim his 13th French Open title and his 20th Grand Slam title overall .

In 2021, Sinner and Nadal met again at the French Open, this time in the fourth round. The former World No.1 once again emerged victorious with a score of 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.

In this year's French Open Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal can only meet in the final as they are drawn in separate halves of the tournament.