Rafael Nadal is all set to begin his quest of becoming the No.1 player in the world following the release of the China Open draw on Saturday. The Spanish tennis sensation will face a qualifier in the first round but will be taking on far more challenging tests in the succeeding phase of the tourney.
Nadal has now arrived in Beijing to begin his preparation for the ATP 500 China Open, which will begin on Monday. Nadal is trailing world's No.1 Novak Djokovic by a whisker of margin and has no point to defend after skipping the tournament last year.
For Rafa to become world's No.1 again, Djokovic must not reach the semifinal regardless of Nadal's performance in the tournament. If the Serb is able to reach the semis, Nadal can still get the No.1 ranking by reaching at least the championship game.
Nadal, who's also gunning for his second China Open crown after winning the same event way back in 2005, will likely face Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round, while Tommy Haas faces Tommy Robredo in the quarterfinal.
On the other hand, Djokovic could meet Stan Wawrinka, Fernando Verdasco and Mikhail Youzhny in the early rounds before facing either David Ferrer or Richard Gasquet in the semis.
Meanwhile, Brazilian legend Ronaldo is looking forward to going one-on-one with Nadal on the poker table, the retired football star told Poker de Picas.
"We already did an ad [for PokerStars]. I hope that it will be soon. I'd love to, but he still plays tennis and it is more difficult. We will have to find room for it when he's on vacation. It will be fun. I'm curious to see how he plays," Ronaldo said about the chances of playing an avid poker game in Nadal.
When asked if he wants to try a new career as pro poker player, Ronaldo responded with a jest.
"Against the athletes, no doubt, because they are at a level similar. Against the pros, eventually I will lose insurance," he added.
Ronaldo played in the heyday of his career with Real Madrid, which is Nadal's favorite soccer ballclub.
For more Rafael Nadal News and Tennis updates, read more at Latinos Post Sports
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
