Rafael Nadal still dreaming of Roland Garros: "If there is a tournament where it is worth giving everything and dying, it is in Paris”

Wednesday, 17 April 2024 at 18:58

Rafael Nadal gave everything he had at the Barcelona Open, but that was not enough to defeat a player of Alex de Minaur's stature. In the first round, he managed to comfortably beat the talented young Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3, but the Australian was already too much.

The current world number 11, who has entered the Top 10 for the first time this year, is playing the best tennis of his life and, despite not being a clay court specialist, is a tough player on any surface, and today he beat Rafa 7-5, 6-1.

Nadal played well in the first set, which he could have won, but both physically and mentally, de Minaur clearly surpassed him in the second set with everything in his favor.

Read also

Now, the 22-time Grand Slam champion hopes to be present at the Madrid Open. But before that, the greatest legend of the Barcelona Open with 12 titles, wanted to say goodbye to one of the tournaments where he has been most successful, the second most won after Roland Garros.

"Almost certainly, I won't be able to compete here again. I would have liked to fight the tournament, but for me it was very nice to be able to play two matches. It's hard for me, and I'll play in Madrid depending on how I feel. I will have to accumulate one more week of good training sessions. I enjoyed it", he said after the match, according to statements made by José Morón, journalist of Punto de Break.

José Morón

@jmgmoron

·Follow

Rafa Nadal: "Casi con total seguridad, no podré volver a competir aquí. Me hubiera gustado luchar el torneo, pero para mí ha sido muy bonito poder jugar dos partidos. Es duro para mí. En Madrid jugaré según me encuentre. Tendré que acumular una semana más de buenos

4:27 PM · Apr 17, 2024

2.4K

Read 62 replies

And speaking of Roland Garros, he also mentioned his desire and excitement to be at the French Open: "If there is a tournament where it is worth giving everything and dying for, it is in Paris", according to Quentin Moynet, a tennis journalist from L'Équipe.

Undoubtedly, he will no longer be the favorite, as he himself said before his debut in Barcelona, despite the words of Stefanos Tsitsipas, we will always have to keep him in mind to make us enjoy and vibrate as he has always done in major tournaments.

Quentin Moynet

@QuentinMoynet

·Follow

Nadal sur Roland-Garros : "S'il y a un tournoi où ça vaut la peine de tout donner et mourir, c'est à Paris".

4:46 PM · Apr 17, 2024

1.1K

Read 14 replies

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.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

"I wouldn't lose in the first and second round every week if I was doped" as Alexandre Muller hilariously asks ATP to stop drug tests

"Those grass courts are absolutely fantastic!": Martina Navratilova voices concern as Eastbourne International mooted for downgrade