After losing with not very good feelings in the second round of the 1,000 Masters in Rome, against the Polish and world number nine, Hubert Hurkacz, Rafa Nadal returned to Manacor on Sunday mired in a sea of doubts. The Spaniard will train these days at his Academy and next week he will head to Paris with the intention of competing at Roland Garros (May 26 to June 9), as AS has learned.
The good perspectives he obtained during the practices at the Foro Italico, against high-level players, did not correspond to the performance he showed in the matches, a fact that surprised both him and his team. However, the days of work in the Italian capital did not take a physical toll on the winner of 22 Grand Slams, close to turning 38 (he will do so on June 3), who had the intention of pushing his body to the limit. although that meant a high risk for him, given his extensive injury history. In that sense, he feels fine, as reported by his entourage to AS. And the emotional boost of receiving the improvised and unprecedented tribute from thousands of fans at the Internazionali d’Italia facilities made Nadal return home less dejected than might have been expected.
The burning nail
That is why he wants to cling to the possibility of success in the French Grand Slam, where he has been champion 14 times. He said it in an interview with the France 2 television channel. “I don’t know if I’m going to be competitive at Roland Garros. I’m going out to play the tournament thinking that I can give my all, that I can play at my 100%; “And if my body is not ready to win any game, then accept it, but not go out on the court knowing that I have no option,” Rafa pointed out.
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Nadal is virtually 276th in the world, although in the Bologna Forest he will play with a protected ranking of number 34. An advantage that, however, will not exempt him from coming across seeds soon, as has happened in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. The Manacorí was not used to facing dangerous curves in the early stages of tournaments. That’s why he tries to prepare with the collaboration of top players, like Stefanos Tsitsipas, with whom he trained a few days ago in Rome. That will be repeated in Paris. And if things go well, we will see the king of the land perform, at least once again, at the Philippe Chatrier.
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2024-05-15 01:47:08
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