Nadal Faces Tough Draw at Roland Garros as Potential Retirement Looms

“I’m playing against one of the best possible opponents, who won the last event,” said Nadal in the crowded press room at Roland Garros before the duel with the Olympic champion, who recently triumphed at the Masters in Rome: “What should I do? I’m just trying to be ready.”

Nadal admitted that he had expected such an unfortunate draw, looking ahead to Monday’s duel: “That happens when you’re not seeded – that’s part of the business. I accept that. You never know if you’re lucky or unlucky,” said Nadal: “But on paper, of course, that’s not the best draw.”

The “disaster of Rome”, when Nadal had no chance against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, should not be repeated, said the 37-year-old, who had previously trained on Court Suzanne Lenglen with the Dane Holger Rune. “I feel that I am continuing to improve on various levels,” he said.

This year will probably be the last time the Spaniard will compete in his favorite tournament, even if he did not want to commit himself completely on Saturday. He wants to return to the Roland Garros facility at least for the tennis competitions at the Olympic Games. Last year, Nadal missed out on a participation due to a persistent hip flexor injury. He then fought for many months to make his comeback.

“There is a big, big chance that this is my last time at Roland Garros, but if you want me to tell you that it is 100 percent true, then I will not do that,” Nadal said.

At Roland Garros, the 22-time Grand Slam champion pushed the boundaries, losing just three matches in 112 victories. He reached the final 14 times and won every single one of them. Zverev and Nadal last faced each other in the semifinals in 2022, when Zverev, who has defeated Nadal three times in his career, seriously injured his ankle and had to retire. Nadal went on to win the title.

2024-05-25 12:16:00
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