{"id":12819,"date":"2024-05-22T22:01:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T19:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/?p=12819"},"modified":"2024-05-22T22:01:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T19:01:32","slug":"invincible-no-more-but-nadal-targets-final-fling-at-roland-garros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/?p=12819","title":{"rendered":"Invincible no more, but, \u00a0Nadal\u00a0targets final fling at Roland Garros"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Rafa\u00a0Nadal\u00a0hopes to play in the French Open where he would be in the unfamiliar role of underdog but niggling injuries threaten to sour what would likely be the Spaniard\u2019s last appearance at the Grand Slam he dominated for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n

The 37-year-old, who won 14 of his 22 major titles in Paris to establish himself as one of the greatest ever players on clay, skipped the 2023 edition with a hip injury that required surgery and is still in two minds whether to play this year.<\/p>\n

Having already announced that 2024 could be his final season on the tour,\u00a0Nadal\u00a0returned to action in January but sustained a small muscle problem that stalled his progress before he made another comeback during the European claycourt swing.<\/p>\n

Following a second-round defeat at Barcelona,\u00a0Nadal\u00a0cranked up his level to go on a surprise run to the Madrid fourth round and delight fans but in Rome a crushing loss to Hubert Hurkacz in his second match dampened spirits ahead of Roland Garros.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysically I have some issues, but not probably yet enough to say I\u2019m not playing in the most important event of my tennis career,\u201d said\u00a0Nadal, who won his first French Open in 2005 and last lifted the Musketeers\u2019 Cup two years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I feel ready, I\u2019m going to try to be there and fight for the things I have been fighting for the last 15 years, (even) if now seems impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nadal\u2019s indomitable spirit despite a plethora of injuries in his glittering career has never been in question, but the former world number one who has plummeted down the rankings risks being dumped out prematurely at his happiest hunting ground.<\/p>\n

His earliest exit from the tournament came in 2016 when a wrist problem forced him to withdraw ahead of his third round clash with countryman Marcel Granollers and he has only lost three times in 115 matches.<\/p>\n

Despite previously stressing that he would play in Paris only if he felt fully fit and competitive,\u00a0Nadal\u00a0understands the importance of going out on his own terms as he did in front of teary fans in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably when the people start to see that there will not be many chances to watch me play again, probably they feel a bit more emotional, more sad because it\u2019s in some way the end of an important era in the history of tennis,\u201d\u00a0Nadal\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a player, I want to be remembered for the results that I had. As a person, I hope to be remembered as a positive example of being respectful, well-educated and a good person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennis fans will be hoping for one last hurrah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rafa Nadal is considering playing in the French Open despite niggling injuries, as it could be his last appearance at the Grand Slam he has dominated for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1397,6863,9258,3185,6117,6626,988,9605,658,4407,1314,572,2796,5527,387,2446,8555,6730,3840,6749,1318,4388,9856,2848,340,3461,6305,18],"class_list":["post-12819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","tag-barcelona","tag-clash","tag-comeback","tag-defeat","tag-event","tag-fans","tag-fight","tag-french-open","tag-history","tag-hope","tag-injuries","tag-injury","tag-issues","tag-loss","tag-lost","tag-match","tag-nadal","tag-paris","tag-progress","tag-rafa-nadal","tag-rankings","tag-rome","tag-season","tag-surgery","tag-tennis","tag-tournament","tag-who","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\nInvincible no more, but, \u00a0Nadal\u00a0targets final fling at Roland Garros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"French Open. 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