“About Paris ... after Rome I will say”: Rafael Nadal still unsure about Roland Garros after Madrid Open farewell
ATPWednesday, 01 May 2024 at 08:14
Rafael Nadal ended his Madrid Open with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Jiri Lehecka and maintained an air of mystery about playing Roland Garros but that he will still play Rome which begins May 8.
Nadal went down in a commanding loss to the Czech ace and had an emotional farewell afterwards. But feels the need to give back in Rome too. The reason for not confirming his participation at the French Open is due to his previous quips about playing tournaments and having to withdraw. Also an injury could easily manifest itself in that time.
"I don't know what can happen [about playing at Roland Garros], but now I have four games in Madrid behind me. This is the reality. Today I was more muscularly tired, yes, but it is nothing serious. I have endured several hours of competition at the highest possible level, and that's the most important thing," he said in his post-match press conference (via Punto de Break).
"I want to play in Rome and do well there. I am going to work hard to make that happen. It is one of the most important tournaments of my career, I won it 10 times," he added.
"About Paris ... after Rome I will say. I understand your urgency and I would also like to have a clear vision of what is going to happen, but since I don't have it today, I can't tell you more.”
"I hope to be able to play in Rome, if there are no setbacks, and I'm going there with the hope of continuing to evolve.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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