Rafael Nadal, who fought against physical problems to be able to return to Roland-Garros, admitted on Saturday, on the eve of the start of the 2024 edition, that there was “a good chance” that it would be his last participation, while leaving the door ajar. “There is a good chance that it will be my last (Roland-Garros). But I would not say that I am 100% certain that it will be the last,” declared the Spaniard, soon to be 38 years old and who won the tournament 14 times, a record.
“I went through a long recovery process. Now I’m better than a month ago. So in a way I don’t want to close the door 100%,” he added . “I love tennis, I travel with my family and we are all happy,” assured the Mallorcan, emphasizing that he had not yet regained the feeling of playing without any problem. “Give me a little time and maybe in a month I’ll say I’m stopping,” he commented again.
“I feel like I can beat anyone.”
Despite a “disaster” in Rome, where he lost sharply in the second round, Nadal said he felt competitive. “Sorry, but I feel competitive in training. Maybe not in an official match, but when I enter the court, I feel like I can beat anyone,” he said .
No longer seeded, the Spaniard will face Alexander Zverev (4th in the world and winner in Rome) in the first round. The German gave up against Nadal due to a major injury to his right ankle during the 2022 semi-final. In the process, the Spaniard won his 14th crown on Parisian soil.