PARIS: Rafael Nadal said Saturday that he is likely appearing at the French Open for the final time but cautioned it was “not 100%” certain, describing the tournament where he has been champion 14 times as a “magical place”.
“It´s a big, big chance that this is going to be my last Roland Garros, but if I have to tell you it´s 100% my last Roland Garros, sorry, but I will not, because I cannot predict what´s going on. I hope you understand,” said the Spaniard.
Nadal, who will celebrate his 38th birthday on June 3, faces world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round in Paris on Monday.
The Spanish legend has racked up 112 wins in 115 matches at the tournament since his title-winning 2005 debut when he was just 19. He has 22 Grand Slam titles -- second only to Novak Djokovic´s 24 on the all-time men´s list -- but his career has been plagued by injuries. Nadal has played just four tournaments since January last year after suffering a hip injury and then a muscle tear.
As a result, his ranking has slumped to 276 in the world and he comes into the French Open unseeded. “I have been going through a long process of recovery with a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering, but I feel better now,” he added.