Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday May 8, 2024
No promises, no guarantees. Rafael Nadal he is not willing to show himself that he is at the top level, King of Clay just because he was able to play three events in a row this spring.
This great champion who has played 22 times has never been one to jump at his opportunities, after all. But the Spaniard admits that he is happy with the progress he has made in the past month, and that he is enjoying being on tour right now.
This week he is back at the Foro Italico in Rome, where he has become a ten-time champion.
Nadal, who has played 19 times in Rome and has a record of 69-8 in the Italian capital, says he is getting better every day.
“From a general point of view, the line is going up, without a doubt,” Nadal told reporters. “I am happy to be where I am today, because one month ago it was almost impossible for me to think that I would be able to play in Barcelona, then I was in Madrid, and now I am here in Rome.
“My mood is always better. Regarding tennis, too. Why not?”
The 37-year-old Nadal says he is excited about the future, and believes that if his body behaves well, he could be in even better shape in a few weeks.
“I'm here to try my best,” he said. “Tomorrow (we are facing Zizou Bergs in the first round) it starts. All these games are difficult for me today and are more difficult and unpredictable than they were for me, especially on clay.
“I accept that role. I accept that challenge. I am happy with the way I will be able to play if I continue to work properly and my body allows me.”
No Drama: The Sinner and Alcaraz Will Return
Nadal had a long conversation with a reporter about injuries, saying that players today must accept that if they are going to push their bodies, they will definitely get injured.
It was a mistake in the tournament to have Italian Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz out due to injury, but the game must go on.
He said: “They are small. “They will have plenty [chances] to play in Rome and have great success here. There is no drama. The tournament will survive without Carlos and Jannik, the most important players in any event, any tournament today. “
However, Nadal admits that he feels sad that Sinner cannot compete in Italy, despite everything he has done to promote the sport in that country this year. At this year's Australian Open, Sinner became the first man to achieve a major since 1976 and recently achieved the highest ranking ever by an Italian, at number 2.
“Especially in Italy, the absence of Jannik playing here after everything he represents today in this country, I think it's bad news. And for me as a spectator, as a colleague, I feel a lot for him because he deserves to play here.
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