Probably it’s a big percentage that I will not be back here playing at Roland Garros, but I can’t say 100 per cent – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal admitted there are good chances that he might have played his last match at Roland Garros but he is not 100 percent sure. Earlier, Nadal had indicated that 2024 will be his final season on the tour but he is not sure what the future will hold.

Nadal lost his opening round match at the French Open 2024 against Alexander Zverev in straight sets at the Philippe Chatrier on Monday. The Spaniard had his chances throughout the match but the German prevailed by  6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 in three hours and five minutes. 

“It’s difficult for me to talk. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time that I am going to be here in front of you, honestly,” he said. “I am not 100 per cent sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it. The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and today. The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words but for me it’s so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt, in the place that I love the most.”

The last 18 months have been a difficult phase for Nadal as he has gone through a lot of injury woes.

“I have been going through a very tough two years in terms of injuries. I went all through all this process with the dream to be back here in Roland Garros,” he said. “It’s true that the first round hasn’t been the ideal one. I needed something else. I was competitive, I had my chances, but it was not enough against a great player like Sascha.”

The 14-time Roland Garros champion said his body has been a jungle in the last two years but the last few weeks have been positive.

“My body has been a jungle for two years,” he said. “You don’t know what to expect. I wake up one day and I found a snake biting me. Another day a tiger (smiling). It has been a big fight with all the things that I went through, But the dynamic is positive the last few weeks.”

Revealing his future plans, Nadal said he isn’t sure about his 2025 Roland Garros participation. “For me it’s difficult to say what’s going on in the future,” Nadal explained on court. “Probably it’s a big percentage that I will not be back here playing at Roland Garros, but I can’t say 100 per cent. I enjoy a lot playing here, I am traveling with the family and I am having fun. The body is feeling a little bit better now than two months ago.”

It will be interesting to note how long Nadal would keep fighting against the odds.