Rafael Nadal Says He’s ‘Not 100% Certain’ It Is His Final French Open

Rafael Nadal, 37, stated on Saturday that while it is likely this could be his last French Open, he is “not 100 per cent certain.” “There is a good chance that it will be my last French Open, but I cannot say that I am 100 per cent certain it will be the last,” said the Spanish tennis star.

Nadal, who has claimed the French Open title 14 times and will turn 38 on June 3rd, is set to face world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round in Paris on Monday. Since his title-winning debut at the tournament in 2005 when he was just 19, Nadal has amassed an impressive record of 112 wins in 115 matches at Roland Garros.

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With 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24 in the all-time men’s list, Nadal’s career has been frequently interrupted by injuries. He has competed in just four tournaments since January of last year due to a hip injury followed by a muscle tear, causing his ranking to plummet to 276 in the world, entering the French Open unseeded.

“I have gone through a long recovery process. Now I’m better than a month ago. So in a way, I don’t want to close the door 100 per cent,” Nadal added. “I love tennis, I travel with my family, and we are all happy.”

Nadal missed the 2023 French Open due to injury. In the previous year, he secured his 14th title but disclosed that he could only compete with the help of daily pain-killing injections in his feet. “Give me a little time and maybe within a month I’ll say I’m stopping,” he said.

This season, Nadal has yet to reach a clay-court quarter-final. His performance in Rome saw him exit in the second round. Despite this, Nadal remains optimistic. “I feel competitive in training. Maybe not in an official match, but when I enter the court, I feel like I can beat anyone,” he stated.