Rafael Nadal will begin his bid for a ninth French Open title when he takes the court against Robby Ginepri on Monday. The winner will face either Dominic Thiem or Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second round.

(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (WC) Robby Ginepri

Nadal and Ginepri will be going head-to-head for the first time in nine years when they meet in round one of the French Open on Monday. Their only previous encounter came at the 2005 Madrid event, played on indoor hard courts back then, with Nadal winning a semifinal showdown 7-5, 7-6(1). In his prime at that point, Ginepri is still toiling away at 31 years old. From just about out of nowhere, even considering retirement, he earned the USTA’s wild card into Roland Garros by taking the Tallahassee Challenger title. Ginepri is 0-2 at the ATP level this season and registers at 279th in the world.

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