Patrick Mouratoglou has said that there is "no reason" why Rafael Nadal should not be considered among the favorites for the title at the 2024 Roland Garros.
22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal has spent a lot of his highly successful career dominating the clay courts at the French Open, having won the major a record fourteen times between 2005 and 2022.
However, the Spaniard has been absent for most of this season due to injury and undergoing surgery. He last played at the 2023 Australian Open where he was ousted by Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
The 37-year-old revealed that he would be aiming to return to the sport at the 2024 Australian Open in what would possibly be his final season before retirement. However, he was subdued about his chances of success at majors upon his return.
Nevertheless, well-known coach Mouratoglou has said that he still believes Nadal has the ability to win the Roland Garros and that fans should not count him out. He stated that the Big Three member will 'play fully' next season.
"When it comes to Rafa I understand he doesn't want to feel pressure and he wants people to think that he's coming next year to say goodbye, but that's not the type of guy. He's going to play fully. He will have enough time to practice," he said.
"Historically, he's a player that needs to play a lot. The real question mark is how much injury-free will he be in 2024. If he doesn't have pain and is free to play next year, there is no reason to think that he will not be dangerous/the favourite for Roland Garros," he continued.
Mouratoglou has previously praised Nadal's almost unbeatable status at the French Open.
"Nobody’s done what he has on clay or at Roland Garros. This has been his tournament for so long now. When he reaches 2nd week, he's not unbeatable because nobody is, but Rafa is close," he said.
Mouratoglou on Nadal: “Nobody’s done what he has on clay or at Roland Garros. This has been his tournament for so long now. When he reaches 2nd week, he's not unbeatable bc nobody is, but Rafa is close. The favorite is Rafa, 2nd favorite is Djokovic. 3rd is Carlos Alcaraz”
