“I can’t say it 100%” – Nadal not certain that 2024 will be his final Roland-Garros

Rafael Nadal will face Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland-Garros on Monday in a blockbuster encounter

Rafael Nadal, Roland-Garros, 2024 © Zuma / Panoramic

May 25, 2024

The question has been on everyone’s lips since the beginning of the week at Roland-Garros. Will this be the last time that the master of the house, Rafael Nadal, will play in the Parisian Grand Slam?

Nadal himself gave clarification on this during a press conference on Saturday. Physically feeling good, the Spaniard revealed that he does not want to close any doors for the rest of his career.

“Is this my last Roland-Garros? There’s a good chance it will be, but I won’t say it’s my last 100%,” Nadal said.

“I can’t predict what will happen. For two years I have been suffering, I am in the process of recovery. Now I feel better, my sensations are better. I don’t want to close the door.

“First of all, I enjoy playing tennis. Secondly, I travel with my family and we enjoy doing this together. And lately, I haven’t had the opportunity to explore how I could play feeling better physically.

“Maybe in a month and a half I’ll know more about what’s next.”

NADAL MOVING BETTER THAN A FEW WEEKS AGO

2024 may not be Nadal’s final farewell to Roland-Garros, nor to the ATP Tour. The main reason for the uncertainty is that the Mallorcan is feeling increasingly better physically, something that he always said would dictate how long he remains an active player.

Since Rome, he has continued to improve and he is starting to believe that he can become competitive at the highest level again.

“I’ve improved physically since Rome. Physically, I have fewer limits. And mentally, I have the right motivation,” Nadal continued in a packed press conference room.

“I’ve progressed, you know. In training, I have undoubtedly improved. Especially in terms of movement. I don’t feel the limitations I felt in Rome anymore in terms of racing, on both sides, so that’s a lot for me.

“I mean it’s not just about thinking about getting extraordinary results here, but thinking about giving myself a little bit more space to think about what can happen in the future, yes.”

The 14-time Roland-Garros champion will have the opportunity to show his progress on Monday against world number four Alexander Zverev in a truly mouth-watering first-round clash.