BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 02: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory after his match against … [+]
Rafael Nadal may not be done quite yet.
The 38-year-old Spanish tennis legend is leaving the door open to playing in 2025 — potentially at his beloved Roland Garros and other tournaments.
In an interview with L’Equipe, Nadal said he was enjoying playing again and was uncomfortable with a planned tribute for him at the French Open:
“I feel like I’m finding the pleasure of playing again, having fun. I want to give myself a chance to see if my physique remains at this level or if it is only a temporary moment and that it starts to go wrong again. I give myself time to see how I will feel after the Olympic Games and then we will see what will happen, what decisions I will make.
“(On a tribute at Roland Garros) At first, I said, ‘OK, let’s go!’ But at the last minute (after the good training sessions) I said I didn’t want it, that’s the truth. It would have bothered me to announce that it was the last time I was playing the tournament, knowing that I did not have the opportunity to prepare as I would have liked. And nothing prevents them from waiting a year. If the tribute takes place and I am retired, I will go there as a retiree. And if I still play, I will obviously be present. I preferred not to live with the idea that they had to pay tribute to me, because it was practically forcing me not to play here again and I was not ready at that time”
For now, Nadal announced he won’t play Wimbledon but will play Bastad, Sweden on clay (July 15-21) as a warm-up for the Paris Olympics (July 27-Aug. 4), where he will play singles as well as doubles with newly minted Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, did say after losing to Alexander Zverev in the first round at Roland Garros he wasn’t certain that would be his final appearance there.
“I am not 100% sure, but if it’s last time, I enjoy it, no?” he said. “The crowd have been amazing during the whole week of preparations and today, the feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words, but for me so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt in the place that I love the most.”