Toni Nadal
shared insights into what can be expected from
Rafael Nadal in the 2024 season
and expressed the view that the Paris Olympic Games potentially could mark the
tournament of his retirement.
In a recent
interview with former world No. 1 Marion Bartoli on RMC Sports, Rafael Nadal's
uncle provided details about his nephew's preparation and expectations
regarding his performance.
Toni Nadal
mentioned that the 22-times Grand Slam champion has displayed a high level of
competitiveness during training sessions and is aiming for the French Open as
the primary goal of the season. Moreover, he speculated that the Paris Olympic
Games might serve as a fitting conclusion to Nadal's illustrious career:
“Rafael is
doing well. He’s back in training with good intensity, with the most important
thing being the (dream) of playing the French Open again,” he said.
“I don’t think he’s thought about retiring,
for one simple reason, which he’s told me many times. He doesn’t want to retire
with the feeling of being injured,” Toni Nadal added.
According
to Felix Auger-Aliassime's current coach, Rafael Nadal is anticipating a
successful year and plans to compete in both Roland Garros and the Olympic
Games in Paris. The latter event could potentially mark the culmination of his
illustrious career, though it all hinges on how his body responds upon his
return:
“What he
dreams of is having a good year, trying to play at a very high level again. He
knows it’s going to be very difficult, because every year it gets harder and
harder… But his dream is to try to be here again, especially to play in Paris
again. If his body is fine, he thinks he’ll have the chance to do really great
things at Roland Garros.
“The
important thing is not to try to win, but to have the feeling of playing well,”
Toni Nadal claimed.
“He has the
will to still be here, he loves tennis, he loves competition, he loves the
game. It’s his dream to play the tournaments he loves one last time. The more
he plays, the more competitive he will be. We know that his legs aren’t the
same as they were 10 years ago, but in his head nothing has changed. He still
has the same determination,” he concluded.
