ROME – Rafael Nadal’s form on clay is slowly taking shape.
Not the almost invincible form that the tennis world has become accustomed to over the last two decades. But form that leaves the 22-time Grand Slam champion starting to feel good as he prepares to play what will likely be his last French Open.
“It’s a good moment, even if the results are not what they used to be,” Nadal said at the Italian Open on Wednesday. “But I am increasing my feeling, my level. … I want to continue.”
The 37-year-old Nadal, who has indicated this will be his last year on tour, has played just nine matches this year after missing almost all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery.
But he is coming off his most encouraging performance of the year, having won three straight at the Madrid Open last week before losing in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round.
Before Madrid, he only won one match in Barcelona.
“The line is rising, without a doubt,” said Nadal, making a hand gesture to demonstrate his improvement. “Happy to be where I am today because a month ago for me it was almost impossible to think that I could play in Barcelona, then in Madrid, and now be here in Rome. … Things are happening.
“All matches are difficult for me today, difficult and more unpredictable than they used to be for me, especially on clay,” Nadal added. “I accept this role. I accept this challenge. I’m excited about how I can play if I continue to work out properly and my body allows it.
Nadal hopes to be competitive for the last time at Roland Garros, where he is a record 14-time champion. Rome is his last major warm-up tournament before the clay-court Grand Slam begins on May 26.
“Firstly, I want to play against Roma. That’s the tournament I’m in today. I don’t think after that,” said Nadal, who had his 1-year-old son on court for his training sessions at the Foro Italico this week.
Nadal’s opening match in Rome is scheduled for Thursday against Belgian Zizou Bergs, ranked 108th.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who is also back in Rome after a month away, is in the opposite half of the table from Nadal. But second-ranked Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injuries.
Djokovic hasn’t played in almost a month – since he lost to Casper Ruud in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. He is also without a title this year – the first time he has reached May without a trophy since 2018, when he returned from a right elbow injury.
But the top-ranked Serb was optimistic about his chances of defending his French Open title.
“I think I’m on track to reach the peak at Roland Garros in Paris,” Djokovic said. “I hope that here in Rome I can play better than in Monte Carlo.”
Djokovic added that his withdrawal from the Madrid Open was not due to physical problems.
“It wasn’t part of the schedule,” he said. “The plan was to come here.
Nadal has won the Italian Open a record 10 times and called his first two Foro Italico titles his most memorable: five-set victories over Guillermo Coria and Roger Federer in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
From 2007, the Rome final was changed to a best of three sets format.
“Most of the important moments in tennis have been playing best-of-five matches because, at the end of the day, it makes the matches more exciting, more dramatic, and people get more involved,” Nadal said. “Those incredible battles that are part of the history of our sport.
“It’s true that I won 10 times here. But if you tell me my memories, for me the memories of the first two victories in five sets against Coria and against Roger are much fresher than the others (titles). Even though I had incredible, good matches against Novak, against great players,” Nadal added. “But that’s what I think people remember most.”
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AP Tennis:
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