Rafael Nadal is at last returning to the tennis courts. Despite being far from perfect, the Spaniard has avoided injury in his past two competitions. The 37-year-old’s supporters are still optimistic that he will play in the French Open as he prepares for his third straight tournament.
Nadal is concerned about winning the Grand Slam. The Spaniard is unsure if he will play in the tournament where he has won 14 titles because of the more difficult and demanding circumstances. Nadal disclosed the same information at a recent press conference in Rome, saying that he was satisfied with his current situation and intended to concentrate on Rome for the time being.
Nadal claims that his body is the reason he talks about retiring, rather than the fact that he is not pleased playing tennis or doesn’t feel competitive.
He expressed his thoughts recently and said: “I can’t have a clear answer. First of all, I want to play Rome. That’s the tournament where I am today. I don’t think so after that. If, after that, I feel ready to play Roland Garros, I cannot predict what kind of emotions I’m going to have there. I just want to enjoy every day. I am enjoying playing tennis, by the way. It always depends on my body how far I can keep going in terms of timing, no? I am happy doing what I’m doing. When I’m talking about retirement, it’s not because I’m not happy anymore playing tennis or because I’m not feeling myself competitive enough.”
He further added: “That’s not the case. It’s about the body not being able to play for weeks in a row, which was not able to allow me to practice and enjoy the practices daily. If you’re not able to do things the proper way every day, you are not able to enjoy them because of the pain and the injuries. It’s almost impossible to have success or to keep fighting for things that motivate me. But now is my third week on the tour, almost in a row, so. It’s a good moment, even if the results are not what they used to be. But I am increasing my feelings and my level. Let’s see. Yeah, I want to keep going.”
Rafa Nadal says when he talks about retirement, it’s not because he’s unhappy playing tennis or doesn’t feel competitive, it’s because of his body
“What do you think your emotions are going to be at Roland Garros this year? I imagine it will be different from all the past… pic.twitter.com/5riyKRTWBd
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 8, 2024
Nadal in Rome, ranking, and results in 2024
Now the world no.305, Nadal has managed to achieve a compiled 7-3 win-loss record in 2024. Nadal is competing in Rome where he beat the world no.108 Zizou Bergs 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Rafael Nadal will fight against the world no.9 Hubert Hurkacz in the 2nd round. They have never competed against each other as of now in top tournaments.
The Spaniard won 92 titles in his career: 24 on hard courts, 63 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Nadal is scheduled to play next at the French Open (French Open). He will start to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 26th of May.
Rafael Nadal |
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