Conde de Godó 2024: Nadal, before his return to the Godó: “I get tired of recounting my hardships” | Tennis | Sports

Rafa Nadal returns to the Godó, and returns to play. Perhaps, for the last time, or at least, that is how he stated it in the press conference held this Monday, prior to his premiere at the Conde de Godó Trophy. “They have been two difficult years. […] But more than regretting it, it is a personal gift to be in Barcelona. I take it as my last year, and I want to try to enjoy every moment. Everything takes on a more special meaning,” confessed the winner of 22 majors, 37 years old – 38 on June 3 – and who tomorrow will debut in the “home” tournament with “excitement and joy” against the Italian Flavio Cobolli, the number 63 in the world. And he added in the enigmatic line of these last months, seasoned with constant suspense and a resigned tone in the protagonist’s speech: “I don’t know what can happen in the future, but this could be my last participation in the Godó.”

A decision that comes after six days of work and tests—since last Wednesday, when he landed in Barcelona—, and with which he has been recovering sensations and reconciling with the serve, the movement frustrated and diminished by his abdominal discomfort. “The training week has been positive. My body sensations are better than those I have had in Mallorca. I feel ready to compete. I have had very few months…”, he explained, appearing positive and wanting to enjoy tennis. So his decision, although “at the last minute”, is clear: “I’m going to be on the track tomorrow.”

More information

Above all, his hope of playing a special tournament for him. He is the biggest winner of the competition—he has lifted the trophy on up to 12 occasions, only two less than Roland Garros—and he has been part of the Real Club de Tenis de Barcelona since he was 11 years old. “They have all been special, important to me. Luckily there have been many that have left me great memories in this tournament,” said Nadal. But that doesn’t mean he wants his participation, which smacks of farewell, to resonate like an exhibition. Nadal, as always, wants to fight: “I’m going to enjoy it the way he can, but not without giving up being competitive.” Of course, he lowered his expectations when he was given the possibility of landing in the semifinals of the tournament: “I’m not in a position to think about that.”

The big drawback, his physical problems. The last one, in his abdominal area, which prevents him from serving fluently and which caused him to give up the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. “Not being there last week hurt me, but I’m ready to go out and play tomorrow,” Nadal said. Last week, the Spanish tennis player resigned from his fourth tournament this year, in which he has only played three matches. “When you start playing in January and don’t come back until April, it’s hard to plan. We try to go day by day. There are many days that have been bad on a physical level, and mentally it ends up affecting one. But the good days continue to compensate me, playing tennis, and enjoying these days of playing with teammates,” reflected the Manacorí. And he did not want to talk about his physical discomfort: “We know all the problems I have been having, so why talk more about it. “I get tired of counting my hardships.”

No “deadline”

Although without fear of relapses. “Fear? What else can happen? Nothing that hasn’t happened this year and a half. We’ll keep going until I feel like it’s not worth it. I don’t set a deadline. “Life is marking your path.” And the one whose injuries have not allowed him to be present at the Godó has been Carlos Alcaraz, who was dropped at the last minute this past Sunday due to his discomfort in his right arm, which forced him to be eliminated (also) from Monte Carlo. “It’s negative for him. I feel bad that he cannot play a tournament that he has won twice, that is important for us on the circuit, and that he is injured. I wish you a good and quick recovery. “It is bad news for the tournament,” Nadal said.

This Tuesday (at a time yet to be defined) he will play his first clay court match since June 5, 2022, when he won his fourteenth Roland Garros in the final against the Norwegian Casper Ruud. He takes it like his last Godó, with the intention of enjoying tennis above the discomfort, as long as his body allows him.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook and Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.

2024-04-15 14:00:49
#Conde #Godó #Nadal #return #Godó #tired #recounting #hardships #Tennis #Sports