diff --git a/apis/v1alpha1/httproute_types.go b/apis/v1alpha1/httproute_types.go
index bd1070cb30..035932b5b8 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha1/httproute_types.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha1/httproute_types.go
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ type HTTPRouteMatch struct {
 	//
 	// +optional
 	// +kubebuilder:default={type: "Prefix", value: "/"}
-	Path HTTPPathMatch `json:"path,omitempty"`
+	Path *HTTPPathMatch `json:"path,omitempty"`
 
 	// Headers specifies a HTTP request header matcher.
 	//
diff --git a/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index f9a84110ab..b40e41f927 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -689,7 +689,11 @@ func (in *HTTPRouteList) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *HTTPRouteMatch) DeepCopyInto(out *HTTPRouteMatch) {
 	*out = *in
-	out.Path = in.Path
+	if in.Path != nil {
+		in, out := &in.Path, &out.Path
+		*out = new(HTTPPathMatch)
+		**out = **in
+	}
 	if in.Headers != nil {
 		in, out := &in.Headers, &out.Headers
 		*out = new(HTTPHeaderMatch)