Bayern Munich defender backs Rafael Nadal over Novak Djokovic as favourite

Rafael Nadal will face Alexander Zverev in his first-round match at the 2024 French Open.

Bayern Munich defender Sacha Boey was once asked to choose between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Replying to the question, the Frenchman took the name of the 37-year-old Spaniard.

Sacha Boey joined Bayern Munich from Turkish side Galatasaray in January for a reported transfer fee of 35 million euros ($38 million). However, the Frenchman’s time in Munich has been filled with injuries. Boey has made a total of 33 appearances across all competitions for the German side, where he has scored two goals.

Bayern Munich had a disastrous campaign during the 2023–24 season as their 11-year Bundesliga winning streak was broken by Bayer Leverkusen. In addition to that, they were also eliminated in the UEFA Champions League by Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid.

However, before joining the Bavarians, during an interview with 90football.fr, Boey was asked to choose his side in the long-standing GOAT debate between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. After the question, he gave a one-word answer, saying “Nadal.”

Another French footballer, Kylian Mbappe, also once hailed Nadal as his favourite tennis player. He said, “Rafael Nadal is my favourite because he’s incredible on clay. And I’m backing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga too – though I’m biased, because I’ve got a soft spot for him!”

Rafael Nadal, who returned to tennis after a prolonged hiatus at the ATP Barcelona Open, has played eight matches since his comeback. At the Italian Open, he was eliminated in the second round by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

The Spaniard is set to face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the first round of the French Open 2024. Zverev recently won the Italian Open title, which made him only the third male tennis star after Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win the ATP 1000 title more than once. Thus, the 14-time Roland Garros winner would be up against a huge challenge in his first-round fixture in Paris.

Nadal has been suffering from a hip problem for a long time, and the issues have affected his game thoroughly. The Spaniard is playing his last campaign in the ATP tour as he will possibly retire at the end of the ongoing season.

Nevertheless, before that, the 37-year-old still has the Wimbledon Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics on his list.

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