Roland Garros 2021: Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (3) Rafael Nadal vs (18) Jannik Sinner
Date: 7 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner preview
The fourth round at Roland Garros will see a rematch of last year's quarterfinal, pitting 13-time champion Rafael Nadal against the fast-rising youngster Jannik Sinner.
Nadal, who came into this year's tournament on the back of title runs in Barcelona and Rome, has made a good start to his Paris campaign. The Spaniard has looked solid in his wins over the likes of Richard Gasquet and Cameron Norrie, and is yet to drop a set this week.
But Nadal is set to face his biggest test yet on Monday, as he would have to defuse Sinner's firepower and explosiveness.
Sinner on his part has had a mixed season on clay this year. He made a strong start with a semifinal run at the Barcelona Open, but his momentum fizzled out over the next few weeks as he suffered a spate of early exits.
But Sinner has managed to steady the ship in his first few matches in Paris. After saving a match point against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round, the 19-year-old will now be looking to secure a quarterfinal spot for the second year in a row.
Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner head-to-head
Rafael Nadal leads Jannik Sinner in their current head-to-head by a margin of 2-0. Nadal secured straight-sets wins over his younger opponent at last year's Roland Garros and at Rome earlier this year.
Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner prediction
Rafael Nadal's path to a record-extending 14th title in Paris was expected to be a tough one. And his prospective fourth-round encounter against Jannik Sinner was chalked up as one of the most highly-anticipated matches the moment the draw was announced.
There had been a few questions regarding Nadal's form in the early part of this year's clay season. But his splendid run in Rome reaffirmed his status as the one to beat on the red dirt.
The 35-year-old has looked very comfortable on the court this week. He has created a lot of opportunities on his opponent's serves, and has played with a high level of intensity throughout. Aside from a slight blip in the night session match against Richard Gasquet, Nadal has rarely looked in any kind of trouble.
Sinner, on the other, hasn't been the most convincing in his first few matches. His groundstokes haven't been firing quite as well as he would have liked, and he has been pushed to the limit by his opponents - all of whom have been well outside the top 50 in the rankings.
Sinner's showing at this year's tournament so far can be described as adequate at best. Unfortunately for the youngster, that is not going to be nearly enough to upstage a formidable-looking Nadal on Monday.
Preduction: Rafael Nadal to win in four sets.
Please help Sportskeeda improve its tennis coverage by taking this 30-second survey.