MY ACCOUNT
Rafael Nadal believes he can win a 14th French Open title despite other players arriving at Roland Garros in better condition, as he labelled the venue the “most important” place in his tennis career.
Nadal won a record 21st grand slam title when he recovered from two-sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling Australian Open final in January, and has won 13 of the last 17 editions of the year’s second slam.
However, Nadal admitted he was “living with an injury” after falling to a third-round defeat to Denis Shapovalov at the Internazionali d’Italia earlier this month, and will need to overcome a tough draw to build on his fine record in Paris, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both on his side of the bracket.
Ahead of his first-round clash with Australia’s Jordan Thompson, Nadal insisted that while he was not the favourite to triumph at Roland Garros, he hoped to replicate his performance at the year’s opening grand slam in order to give himself a chance.
“I just enjoyed all my tennis career to be where I am, and I always feel very privileged and lucky to have the chance to enjoy all the experiences that I am enjoying and I am living because of this sport,” Nadal said.
“And here I am in Roland Garros, another year. It is a place I know well. It is a place that I consider the most important one in my tennis career, without a doubt, and with a lot of positive memories.
“Today, it looks difficult and there are players that are in better shape than me, without a doubt, that is true today. But you never know what can happen in the next couple of days.
“The same happened in Australia, and I put myself in a position to have a chance, and here is no different. Things can change quick, and the only thing that I can do is try to be ready if that change happens.”
Pressed on the effects of the foot injury which troubled him in Rome, Nadal said he is feeling better, but maintained it was a case of managing, rather than curing, the pain.
“What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices,” he added. “I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better.
“The pain is there always. It’s not going to disappear now. It’s about if the pain is high and strong enough to allow me to play with real chances [of winning] or not.
“But in my case, is something that I live every day, so it’s nothing new for me and is not a big surprise.
“I am here just to play tennis and to try to make the best result possible here in Roland Garros. And if I didn’t believe that this thing can happen, probably I would not be here.”
Meanwhile, the stars appear to have aligned for Nadal, with his beloved Real Madrid facing Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 just a short journey across Paris at the Stade de France.
Nadal, a known supporter of Los Blancos who requested not to play at the same time as their semi-final win over Manchester City while competing at the Madrid Open earlier this month, revealed he has already made plans to attend the conveniently located contest.
“Well, I am here to play Roland Garros more than anything else. But of course, I have my tickets already,” he smiled.
