Rafael Nadal uncertain over Roland Garros appearance

The 37-year-old, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, said that helium is acold from being successful apical signifier and that helium is lone playing against American Darwin Blanch in the archetypal circular of the Madrid Open connected Thursday arsenic a idiosyncratic sacrifice.

"If I was successful Paris today, I wouldn't spell retired to play," Nadal told a property conference, successful notation to Roland Garros.

"I don't deliberation I'll beryllium capable to play astatine 100% but it's important to beryllium capable to play for the past clip successful Madrid, it means a batch to maine to play connected this tribunal wherever I've had immoderate large moments."

"This doesn't mean I'm giving up connected thing successful the adjacent fewer weeks, I don't cognize what mightiness happen...

"I'm going to bash the things I person to bash to beryllium capable to play successful Paris. And if I can, I tin and if I can't, I can't. I'm going to Paris if I consciousness similar I'm bully enough... if I consciousness susceptible capable to compete."

Nadal, who has said helium expects to discontinue aft the 2024 season, returned to contention successful Brisbane successful January, aft astir a twelvemonth broadside lined with a hep flexor injury.

However, aft winning his archetypal 2 matches successful the tournament, Nadal mislaid successful 3 sets to Australian Jordan Thompson successful the quarter-finals.

The gruelling contention appeared to instrumentality its toll connected the Spaniard who, trailing 1-4 successful the last set, took a aesculapian timeout to get attraction connected his upper-left leg.

He did not play an ATP event until making a winning instrumentality past week successful Barcelona, with a archetypal circular triumph implicit Flavio Cobolli, lone to autumn a time aboriginal successful a 7-5 6-1 2nd circular decision by Australian 4th effect Alex de Minaur.

"I americium a competitory idiosyncratic and it is hard to play without being capable to springiness my best. If you inquire maine if I was blessed successful Barcelona, I accidental 'no, I wasn't happy'. What happens is that if I had tried to beryllium blessed successful Barcelona contiguous I astir apt wouldn't beryllium here, that's the reality," Nadal said.

"That's wherefore I privation to effort to spell retired and play in Paris feeling susceptible capable to vie well. I'm going to bash my champion to effort to marque it happen, and if it doesn't I'll person the idiosyncratic restitution and the gratitude for having tried.

“We'll spot what happens, but the satellite doesn't extremity if I don't play astatine Roland Garros. I besides person the Olympic Games up of me."

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This communicative has been published from a ligament bureau provender without modifications to the text. Only the header has been changed.

Published: 24 Apr 2024, 08:16 PM IST