This Monday the preliminary phase of the tournament began at Roland Garros, with the participation of, among others, a player like Dominic Thiem, a two-time finalist, but the big attraction was Rafa Nadal, who arrived for the nineteenth time at the Bosque de Bologna, to prepare for a new assault on the Parisian Grand Slam. The Spaniard began training this Monday at the Phillippe Chatrier, the court where he has won 14 titles, to test himself for Sunday, the day that Roland Garros begins.
It is not normal for Nadal to appear so early in Paris, but this has been the routine in recent tournaments, with the aim of maximizing training and acclimatizing. He did it in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, with varying results. The lack of greater regularity and, especially, the tough defeat suffered against Hubert Hurkacz in the second round in Rome raised alarm bells about the possible participation in the most important tournament of his sporting career, where he cemented his legend and where he became the best clay court player in history.
Nadal never hid his intention to play in Paris, but he always made it conditional on being in acceptable shape and at a level that allows him to be competitive. The defeat against Hurkacz, one of the worst in terms of results on clay, put his expectations in check, but he has decided to travel to Paris and give himself a week of training before making his debut.
Whatever his level of competitiveness, the important thing is that Nadal’s body has endured without problems the seven matches he has played between the Conde de Godó and the 1,000 Masters in Madrid and Rome. His health, above sporting results, is the priority.
About 6,000 people
In the stands of the Phillippe Chatrier there were nearly 6,000 people who left aside the qualifying phase, which is held on the rest of the courts, including the Suzanne Lenglen, the second most important of the tournament, to see their champion, the man who won 14 Roland Garros titles between 2005 and 2022.
If he debuts next Sunday or Monday, Nadal will have 19 appearances in the tournament and will be able to improve a record that is the unique history of the sport, one that shows 112 wins and just three losses. Before, on Thursday, he will meet his opponent in the first round. Nadal, who is ranked 274 in the ATP rankings, will enter the tournament with a protected ranking, due to the injury that kept him off the court for a year. This means that he cannot be seeded, so he can face any opponent in the first round, including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, for example.
The draw will be key to knowing the path and possibilities of Nadal, who has not faced a challenge like a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2023, when he injured his iliopsoas. Roland Garros will once again put you in front of five-set matches and duels every two days. A major challenge, surely the most important since he returned to the slopes.
2024-05-20 15:56:33
#Nadal #Paris
