In the first round of the French Open, Rafael Nadal will face Jordan Thompson as his opponent on May 23. Nadal has won the tournament a record 13 times. While Nadal holds the fifth spot in the world rankings, Thompson is currently ranked 82nd. Here’s everything you need to know about Nadal vs Thompson, including the date, time, location, schedule, how to watch, and the head-to-head record and prediction.
Nadal vs Thompson Match Details
- Competition: French Open 2022
- Round: First Round
- Match: Rafael Nadal vs Jordan Thompson
- Venue: Court Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros Stadium, France.
- Date: Monday, May 23, 2022
- Time: 02:00 p.m. ET
- Surface: Clay
- Prize Money: €62,000
- Live Stream: Tennis Channel | Sling TV
Preview
Rafael Nadal is probably not the prohibitive favorite to win the French Open for the first time in years, and it could be the first time ever. Nadal has struggled with his fitness this year, despite a stellar start to the year. This year began with him claiming three consecutive titles, including his 21st Grand Slam crown in Melbourne, Australia. After that, he made it to the final of the Indian Wells Masters before breaking his ribs and being sidelined for a month.
Rafael Nadal made a winning start to the year by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne. Then, in the Indian Wells Masters final, he suffered a rib injury and missed the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open because of it. Once again, he competed in the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters. After that, he was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the Italian Open by Denis Shapovalov.
Jordan Thompson, on the other hand, has only won two matches on clay this season out of seven. The best result for the Australian at the French Open was a third-round appearance in 2019. In the first round of Roland Garros, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
He has had a terrible start to the season so far. Prior to the Dallas Open, he had exited the Australian Open in the first round. Delray Beach, Indian Wells, and Miami all saw first-round defeats. So far, he has played in three tournaments on European clay in the European clay season and has yet to win a match.
When is Nadal vs Thompson Match?
- Date: Monday, May 23, 2022
- Time: 02:00 p.m. ET
Location
The Nadal vs Thompson match will be played in the Court Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France.
- Capacity: 14840
- Surface: Clay Court
Nadal vs Thompson Head to Head
The pair will be getting together for the second time at this event. The head-to-head score is Nadal 1-0. Several years ago, they competed against one another at the Paris Masters, where Nadal emerged victorious in straight sets.
Read Also: Garin vs Paul Preview, Prediction, Head-to-head, How to Watch | French Open 2022
How to Watch Garin vs Paul Match?
TV Broadcast:
Tennis Channel: Tennis Channel will broadcast the 2022 French Open. Watch the event on TV with cable.
NBC: NBC will broadcast the French Open 2022 final exclusively in the US.
Eurosport: The UK will watch on Eurosport.
TSN: Canada’s TSN will broadcast the tournament. They’ll cover all the tennis matches.
ESPN: South Asian tennis fans can watch on Sony Sports Network. If you’re from there, connect to the channel and watch live.
Sky Sports: New Zealand’s Sky Sports will broadcast the French Open 2022.
Nadal vs Thompson Live Stream:
- USA: In the United States, the match Nadal vs Thompson will be aired on Peacock, Sling TV, Fubo TV
- Canada: If you are located in Canada and want to watch the match on television, you will require a connection to TSN.
- UK: Amazon Prime Video customers in the UK will be able to watch the entire match. You can also watch the entire match on Discovery Plus if you subscribe to that service.
- Australia: 9 Now
- France – France TV sport, Amazon Prime Video
- Asia: bEIN Connect
Nadal vs Thompson Prediction
No matter how his injury status changes, Nadal will go into this match as the overwhelming favorite. Because of his impressive record on the Parisian clay, he’ll be eager for an easy outing. Instead of delivering big wins on clay, Thompson has yet to do so. As a result, Rafa should have an easy time of it if he serves well and maintains his level of fitness.
The outcome of this match will be heavily influenced by Rafael Nadal’s physical state and his ability to carry out his game plan. Thompson has a chance to challenge the Spaniard because he isn’t quite at his peak yet.
Despite Nadal’s formidable forehand, the Australian will try to dictate proceedings with his forehand. In order to keep the match going as long as possible, the obvious strategy would be to keep moving him around the court and prolonging rallies. This tactic can be countered, however, by the Spaniard’s ability to keep his points low. Even if he loses a set, the King of Clay is unlikely to lose three in a row.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal will win the match.
