Legendary Chris Evert, owner of 7 Roland Garros titles, doubts Rafael Nadal will retire in the next two years.
*Djokovic – Nadal: 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, on VnExpress.
“I see Nadal looking tired after recent injuries,” Evert commented on Eurosportbefore tussle between Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros today. “There’s more to striving for when you become a professional tennis player, than just attending a single match. But Nadal is exhausted. He’s not fit to play many more matches. He might retire. in the next year or two. I don’t see any possibility that Nadal will play more than two more seasons.”
Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam Nadal holds the circuit with 18 times. He missed the Australian Open twice, dropped out of Wimbledon and the US Open four times. Image: ATP
Evert has won seven Roland Garros in the 18 Grand Slam women’s singles collection. She holds the record for winning at least one Grand Slam for 13 years in a row, and is the player who has attended the most Grand Slam finals with 34 matches. The American legend retired in 1989, at the age of 35 – by Nadal present.
“When I turned 30, I felt like I didn’t have any energy when I woke up in the morning,” Evert added. “I started to burn out, the passion and the fire in me was not the same. I respect Nadal because he still plays at this age, despite the injuries. I don’t know where Nadal gets his energy. I “I’m not sure he broke down from the injury, but his training and playing took a big hit. At some point it’s like you’re tormenting your body.”
Nadal goes to Roland Garros 2022 without winning a clay court title, which is unprecedented. The Spaniard has suffered rib and foot injuries in the last two months. He had been out for nearly five months because of a foot injury at the end of last season. When his body recovered, Nadal played sublime in the first three months of the season, winning 20 consecutive matches, winning three titles, including the Australian Open.
During the press conference after the five-set fourth round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 21 Grand Slam owner admitted his physical condition was not perfect. He said: “Any match now could be my last at Roland Garros. I know under what conditions I came here, and accepted that to play. I’m not sure what about the body, just Will definitely keep the spirit of competition until the end.”
Nadal brought his own doctor to Paris to prevent problems during practice and competition. He needs advice from the medical team for the right tactics for fitness. The current situation makes Nadal underrated Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the Roland Garros championship candidates.
“I’ve been injured for many years,” Nadal said in an interview with Roland Garros. “Without the injections, I wouldn’t be able to train and compete. Some chronic injuries make everything horrible when I wake up in the morning. At this level you can’t compete without running fast, move flexibly. I still play for the pleasure of tennis. But the pain will take away that joy.”
Nadal is in the 18th consecutive year playing at Roland Garros, since the first time attending and winning in 2005. He has gone 111 matches at the clay Grand Slam and lost only three times, setting a record of 13 championships in 2020.
Vy Anh (follow Eurosport)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
