Spain’s legendary tennis star
Rafael Nadal’s uncle,
Toni Nadal, believes that the former world number one will only take part in the upcoming
French Open if he believes he can win it. The 37-year-old is often regarded as
one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era,
having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns in recent years, and because of this, he announced that the 2024 season would be his last at the highest level. The former world number one returned to the court earlier this year but has failed to live up to expectations. Toni was recently quoted in a report, where he stated that the ‘King of Clay’ will only
play in the French Open if he thinks he can win it.
“He’s not going to drag himself, he still has confidence
because of his mentality and way of being,” he said. “He will not go to Roland
Garros to lose in the second round, he will only go if he thinks he can win the
tournament. A dream end would be to win Roland Garros and retire, but I think
that if he does that he will want to continue. He would not retire. [about the
2022 Australian Open] He had had Covid-19 three days before traveling, but then
he tested negative and still did not know whether to travel. In the end he
decided to go, started with little preparation, and won the tournament."