"I have to get rid of that fear": Rafael Nadal looks to leave it all in Rome as Roland Garros pursuit continues

Rafael Nadal has won a match that lasted almost three hours in the first round of the Rome Masters 2024 against Zizou Bergs by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. After the match, the Spaniard took questions at the formal press conference, talking about his current physical condition and his chances of being at Roland Garros.

According to statements collected by José Morón, director of Punto de Break, in his personal account of X (Twitter), Nadal is going to take advantage of this week to leave everything on the court to measure himself for the Parisian Grand Slam, although that may cost him a displeasure with an injury.

"I always have annoyances, the thing is whether they limit me or not. I have to get rid of that fear of breaking. After that time transition, I have to force myself and prove myself. If I break, I break. Bad luck. That's the goal this week. The reality is that matches like this one help the body to adapt to the levels of demand that the circuit sets. If I come out of these matches alive, it is always good news. On a tennis level, I have to do things much better. I think I am capable of playing much better than I did today. I feel closer to the level I want to be at in training, but then I have to put it into the matches and that's costing me."