Rafael Nadal is set to encounter a fresh adversary in his opening match at the Italian Open, where he’ll face Zizou Bergs for the first time. Named after the renowned Real Madrid player Zinedine Zidane, Bergs aims to cause a significant upset against Nadal in Rome.
The Italian Open draw, unveiled on Monday, placed Nadal against Bergs in what appears to be a favorable start for the 37-year-old Spaniard. Bergs, who primarily competes on the ATP Challenger tour in 2024, clinched the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger title and finished as the runner-up at the Sarasota Open.
Despite his limited experience on the main tour, Bergs has garnered three victories out of seven matches, including an impressive debut at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships last month, where he defeated Patrick Kypson in the opening round before falling to eventual champion Ben Shelton.
Expressing his astonishment, Bergs took to Instagram upon learning of his matchup against Nadal, sharing a photo of himself alongside the caption: “So this is happening on Thursday,” accompanied by a heart-eyes emoji.
Following a first-round exit in Madrid, where he lost to Luca Van Assche, Bergs heads into the Italian Open with the odds stacked against him. Nevertheless, he aims to create a major upset by advancing to the second round at Nadal’s expense.
Should Nadal progress to the quarter-finals, he might encounter defending champion Daniil Medvedev, setting the stage for a potentially thrilling showdown. The path to the semi-finals could pit him against Andrey Rublev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Novak Djokovic is poised to feature in the final, having been drawn in the opposite half of the bracket.
