As a rematch looms, throwback to when Sebastian Korda said he would love to play Rafael Nadal again
Sebastian Korda said that he would love to get a chance to play Rafael Nadal again.
The two met in the fourth round of the French Open in 2020. Korda qualified for the main draw of the tournament and beat Andreas Seppi, then-21st seed John Isner and Pedro Martinez to reach the last 16. Nadal then beat the American 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in convincing fashion.
The Spaniard went on to win the competition by beating Novak Djokovic in the final. He did not drop a single set throughout the tournament.
A few months after their match, Korda hailed Nadal's demeanor and said that he would love to play him again.
"He has always been an inspiration for me [with] the way he carries himself on court, how professional he is and how humble he is. Hopefully he can keep playing tennis. I’d love to get another opportunity to be able to play him.”
Sebastian Korda on Nadal: "He has always been an inspiration for me [with] the way he carries himself on court, how professional he is and how humble he is. Hopefully he can keep playing tennis. I’d love to get another opportunity to be able to play him.”
Rafael Nadal will look to win his fourth Indian Wells Masters
There's a good chance of Korda's wish coming true given that he could face Rafael Nadal at the Indian Wells Masters. The 21-year-old takes on a qualifier in the first round of the Masters 1000 tournament and if he wins, he could take on the World No. 4 in the second round.
Korda, who is currently ranked 38th in the world, has had a decent start to 2022 by reaching the third round of the Australian Open. The American started by beating 12th seed Cameron Norrie before triumphing over Corentin Moutet in a five-set thriller. However, he was beaten by Pablo Carreno Busta in four sets.
Korda then competed at the Delray Beach Open and reached the quarterfinals following wins over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Andreas Seppi. He lost to eventual champion Norrie in the quarterfinals.
It is yet to be seen who the 21-year-old will face but given that his opponent will be ranked considerably lower than him, he has a good chance of qualifying. Korda could well be Nadal's opponent in the second round.
The two recently practiced in Indian Wells ahead of the tournament.
A little Korda - Nadal practice to start your day. ☀️
#IndianWells https://t.co/R9EZZjbqNX
The American might fare better than he did back in 2020 but the odds of him beating the King of Clay aren't too high. Rafael Nadal has been in sensational form lately, winning three titles, including the Australian Open.