Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Saturday, May 11, 2024
Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal he almost closed the curtain on his work in Rome today.
Nadal opened the way and lost 6-1, 6-3 Hubert Hurkacz it will influence his Roland Garros decision.
More: Hurkacz Hammers Nadal
The 37-year-old Spaniard says playing Roland Garros comes down to two simple things.
“Maybe one is saying, OK, I’m not ready yet, I’m not playing well enough,” Nadal told reporters in Rome. “Then it’s an opportunity to make a decision about not playing Roland Garros.
“The other thing is to accept how I am today and work properly to try to be different in two weeks.
“The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today.”
Roland Garros starts on May 26.
Former world No. 1 Nadal said he is leaning towards doing what he does best: Playing Paris with full passion and total dedication.
“But if I have to say what my feeling is and if my mind is somehow close, I will say that I will be at Roland Garros and I will try my best,” said Nadal. “Physically I have some problems, but maybe not enough for now not to play in the most important event of my tennis career.”
The biggest challenges are seen as hills that sprout from the terre rock.
The Roland Garros champion has only played 14 matches this season after undergoing hip surgery on his birthday last June.
Abdominal stiffness slowed Nadal’s performance in the early stages of his return to clay in Barcelona, and although he worked hard in Rome, holding serve rarely comes easily. In today’s opening round, Nadal won just 44 percent of his first game points and overall won only 53 percent of his first match points—you know that’s not enough.
Then there is his body that will complete 38 years, which has been affected by injuries in the past years. Nadal admitted that he is still learning which shots he can hit in certain areas without risking injury, a process that has made him an “unpredictable” player even for himself.
Convincingly close throughout his career, Nadal has at times struggled to close out points in today’s loss to Hurkacz w as well as against Zizou Bergs in his debut. And although he will have a lot of room to roam and create on the canvas of the Court of Philippe Chatrier in Paris, it is unlikely that he will be able to boast about the same body as he once did when looking at his body shape.
The man with an incredible 137-3 record in top-five clay court matches will not be seen at Roland Garros, meaning he can draw anyone, including No. 1 of the world Novak Djokovic, in his game. opener.
Still, the good news is that Nadal has a little more than two weeks to prepare for what could be his French Open farewell—and he knows if he can stay healthy he will return to Roland Garros at the Olympic Games this summer.
Nadal exudes energy and enthusiasm on the court and looks eager to compete.
Quick question: Is there enough time for Nadal to prepare for what could be the hardest road in his Roland Garros comeback?
Nadal has never lost back-to-back clay court matches in his career and the two weeks could give Nadal and his coaching staff, including former French Open champion Carlos Moya, who was performing in Rome, time to reload.
Admitting it may seem “impossible” to play Roland Garros at the moment, Nadal spoke as a champion motivated to fight again in Paris if his body allows him.
“Physically I have some problems, but it is not enough at the moment to not play in the most important event of my tennis career,” said Nadal. “Let’s see what happens, how I feel mentally tomorrow, the day after, and one week.
“If I feel ready, I will try to be there and fight for the things that I have been fighting for 15 years ago, if now it seems impossible. Let’s see what happens, how I feel mentally tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and in one week. If I feel ready, I will try to be there and fight the things I have been fighting for for the past 15 years, if now it seems impossible.”
Photo credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty
