Paris Olympics 2024: Rafael Nadal vs Marton Fucsovics preview, head-to-head, prediction, live streaming details

Rafael Nadal will be featuring in his final Olympics.

Rafael Nadal skipped the 2024 Wimbledon to prioritize his participation in the Paris Olympics. He now returns to a venue where he was once invincible. Having won the French Open fourteen times, he is undisputedly the “King of Clay”.

However, times have changed and the Spaniard is no longer the Nadal of the past. After making an impressive comeback at the Bastad Open, which included a grueling four-hour-long victory, he suffered a straight-sets loss in the final, imposing questions on his fitness. After the match, the 22-time Grand Slam winner admitted feeling uncomfortable and acknowledged that he was still far from his best.

Ever since the ITF announced the draws yesterday, the talk of the town has been the Nadal-Djokovic potential round two clash. But soon an unfortunate update was given by the Spaniard’s coach: “I can’t guarantee anything, neither that he won’t play or he will play. At the moment he needs to rest, undergo treatment. He is obviously very excited to play these Olympics.”

Nadal is not only competing in the singles event but also pairing up with Carlos Alcaraz for the men’s doubles competition. With the possibility of an injury putting his participation in the world’s most prestigious event in jeopardy, the Spaniard might have to consider prioritizing one of the two events.

Rafael Nadal vs Marton Fucsovics match details

Date: July 28, 2024 (Sunday)

Time: 4:30 PM IST

Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris

Rafael Nadal vs Marton Fucsovics preview

The round-one match is less than 48 hours away and there is still uncertainty over this clash. While Rafael Nadal will ideally be looking to add to his Beijing 2008 Olympic gold, he will kick start his campaign against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

Fucsovics, who’s ranked 83rd is coming off a poor season with his latest outing in the Austrian Open ending in the very first match itself. He faced a strong challenge at the 2024 French Open where Tsitsipas crushed him in straight sets in the first round.

Playing against Nadal on clay is always a daunting task but the Hungarian will be aware that the Spaniard is currently vulnerable. If the match takes place as scheduled, the 32-year-old should not be underestimated. He will be striving to join an elite group of players who have beaten the 38-year-old at Roland Garros.

Head-to-Head records

Matches – 0

Rafael Nadal – 0

Marton Fucsovics – 0

Rafael Nadal and Marton Fucsovics have never faced each other in a singles match.

Where and how to watch live streaming and TV broadcast of Rafael Nadal vs Marton Fucsovics, 2024 Paris Olympics first-round match in India?

The live telecast of the Paris 2024 Olympics will be available on the Sports 18 network. Fans can also enjoy free live streaming of the quadrennial event on the Jio Cinema app.

Prediction

During the Bastad Open, the Spaniard defeated Cameron Norrie and Argentina’s Mariano Navone, which promised signs of him returning to his best. However, an injury at the wrong time could impact the Spaniard’s mental state heading into the game. Mental preparedness is just as crucial as physical fitness for a competition as monumental as the Olympics.

Having said that, the Hungarian has struggled over the past year or so with few notable performances, including early exits at the Miami Open, Italian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and Austrian Open. Even if Nadal is only partially fit, he should be capable of overcoming this challenge and potentially setting up a second-round date with Djokovic.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in three sets.

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