Nadal doesn't close the door on Paris: "If there's the slightest possibility of winning, I want to go, I want to try"

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 13/05/2024 à 14h59

2 min to read

Nadal Roland Garros

It's the big question of the moment: will Rafael Nadal play at Roland Garros one last time?

Badly affected by his physical condition, the Majorcan hasn't played much this season (11 matches, 7 wins and 4 losses). Although the choice has not yet been made, the Spaniard has confirmed that he is closer to taking part than to withdrawing from the draw.

After three clay-court tournaments, Nadal is still a long way from his best. Very average in Barcelona (1 win, 1 loss), he recovered in Madrid (3 wins, 1 loss) before putting in a far less convincing performance in Rome (1 win, 1 loss). Although he is still not playing at his best, the physical intensity the Spaniard is capable of producing seems to be increasing, especially in training. Now it's time for the bull from Manacor to reproduce this kind of performance in matches.

In an interview with Francetv, 'Rafa' believes in his chances of taking part, but warns that he only wants to play if he feels capable of playing at 100%: "I don't want to go onto the court knowing that I don't have any options. If there's the slightest possibility of winning, I want to go for it, I want to try. But if there's really no chance, no, I'd rather not. [...] If I can't play, it will be very hard, that's for sure. But personally, with all the emotions I experienced there, I think it would be even harder for me to play without being competitive. I don't want to feel at Roland Garros like I felt in Madrid or Barcelona, without being able to really fight."

Asked what he expected by "being competitive", he explains: "I think being competitive for Roland-Garros means going into the tournament 100% and if 100% isn't good enough to win a single match, then you'll have to accept that. But I can't see myself going out there knowing that I don't have any options. If there's a 0.01 chance, I want to take it, I want to try. But if there's really no chance, no, I'd rather stay with my memories".

The equation is therefore simple for the Majorcan: either he feels capable of performing and will play, or he won't play. So, if he does play, we can expect a fairly high level of play. Since he won't be seeded, his presence could reserve us some crazy matches in the first week.