Toni Nadal believes Rafael Nadal will only play French Open if confident to win

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."