Opposed to the Belgian Zizou Bergs on Thursday in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Rome, Rafael Nadal ended up winning but without shining (4-6, 6-3, 6-4). After this difficult victory, the Spaniard admitted to playing with the fear of a relapse, but now wants to give his all, regardless of the consequences.
Affected by injuries for several months, Rafael Nadal finally manages to play one match after another. 11 days before Roland-Garros, the Spaniard left his native country to compete in the Masters 1000 in Rome. Facing 108th in the ATP rankings Zizou Bergs, Nadal was initially knocked down in the first set while leading 3-1.
Finally, the winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments regained his splendor to win the next two rounds (4-6, 6-3, 6-4), and thus qualify for the second round where a strong opponent is waiting, in this case Hubert Hurkacz. In comments transcribed by Marca, Nadal admitted at the end of the match to playing with the fear of getting injured again: “I always feel uncomfortable, and what’s more, I’m limited.” Facing the Pole, the tennis player intends to give his all regardless of the consequences: “It’s time to get rid of the fear of collapsing. I have to push, and if I break, then I break, that’s the goal of the week.”
“I can do much better”
Admitting to having struggled against Bergs on clay, Nadal believes his long period of unavailability is partly to blame: “My game is more unpredictable than before. I haven’t played much in the last two years, it So it’s normal that there are ups and downs. I’m sure I can do much better, and I hope I can do it in the next round.”
“Happy to have found a way to win”, Nadal will try to achieve another prestigious victory against Hurkacz this Saturday. After winning against Australian Alex de Minaur in Madrid a few days ago, such success would be a good sign for the Spaniard, as Roland-Garros is fast approaching (start on May 20).
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2024-05-09 18:42:36
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