But the signs are also pointing towards a change at the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, where the main event begins on Sunday. Nadal has won a total of 14 times in Paris, but the injury-plagued Spaniard is now a long way from his heyday.
Even if he hasn’t quite made up his mind yet, this year will probably be his farewell year on the tour, just like Dominic Thiem. Nadal won five of the eight matches he played this year, and suffered three defeats in 115 matches in his entire French Open career. The Spaniard had therefore considered whether he should even compete on his biggest stage again, but ultimately decided not to.
AP/Christophe Ena Two years ago, Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy into the sky above Paris for perhaps the last time
Nadal in the spotlight from the start
On Monday, the star, who turns 38 on June 3, delighted organizers and fans with his arrival at the facility, and on Tuesday he went to his first training session with good attendance. Every step of the crowd favorite is followed and shared via social media. Nadal fulfills almost every autograph request. But he has not come just to receive the well-deserved farewell applause. He will “fight for the things I have fought for over the last 15 years, even if it seems impossible now.”
A 15th triumph at the French Open would be a big surprise, as the Spaniard has only played three tournaments since mid-January due to a thigh injury and never made it past the round of 16 in what will almost certainly be his last appearance in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. The fact that the draw in Paris gave him the number four seeded German Alexander Zverev as his first-round opponent does not make the task any easier.
But the competition still has respect for the former world number one. “When Rafa steps onto a clay court,” said Russian Daniil Medvedev, “all his rivals are afraid.”
This year is not yet a good year for Djokovic
And for Djokovic, Nadal is still “my biggest competitor of all”. Unlike the Spaniard, the Serb is not thinking about ending his career any time soon. However, his results this year make a successful title defense seem difficult.
AP/Alessandra Tarantino Novak Djokovic has had more fun than in the last few months
The “Djoker” has yet to win a tournament in 2024, so the 98-time tournament winner will not be able to win his 100th anniversary title in just over two weeks. In addition to semifinal defeats at the Australian Open and in Monte Carlo, there were surprising third-round defeats against Luca Nardi (ITA/Indian Wells) and Alejandro Tabilo (CHI/Rome). And in his dress rehearsal for Paris in Geneva, he lost in the semifinals to Tomas Machac (CZE) on Friday.
Number one can’t find the rhythm
The events leading up to the Rome-out and the possible consequences left Djokovic baffled. Two days before the defeat in Rome, a bottle that had fallen out of a fan’s backpack fell on his head while he was signing an autograph. “It was as if a completely different player had been in my place. No rhythm, no speed, no balance when hitting,” said the 37-year-old, who turned 37 on Wednesday, and expressed concern. However, an examination gave the all-clear. “My head is fine, everything is fine. I feel good,” said Djokovic this week in Geneva.
The world number one has added the tournament in Switzerland to his tournament schedule in order to increase his tally of just 17 matches played this year. He has recently invested a lot in his physical condition, with the help of his new fitness coach Gebhard Gritsch. The Tyrolean was responsible for Djokovic’s physical condition from 2009 to 2017 and from 2018 to 2019, and has now been hired again. “We worked on endurance and strengthened the physique that I need for five-set matches on the demanding clay surface,” said Djokovic, who was only able to play three matches in Geneva instead of the four he had hoped for.
The Serb explained that his expectations for Paris are muted. “Of course I’m worried. I haven’t played well at all this year. I don’t see myself as the favorite. I’ll take it match by match and see how far I can get.” In the first round, the 24-time major winner will face Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
