Rafael Nadal will step gingerly onto court at the Madrid Open to face teenaged wild card Darwin Blanche.
But Spain’s clay-court master has cast further doubt on his French Open participation starting in a month as he described his current physical condition.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion who turns 38 in June, played his first match since January last week in Barcelona, winning a round before losing to Australian Alex de Minaur.
But the abdominal problem Nadal has been trying to shake off for months may not yet be fully healed.
‘If I arrive in Paris the way I feel today, I won’t play,” the Spaniard said.
’I’ll play Roland-Garros if I feel competitive… It won’t be the end of the world or the end of my career
“I still have goals after Roland-Garros, like the Olympics.’
Young gun Carlos Alcaraz – another Spaniard facing injury problems – has been hoping to team with his mentor at the Paris Olympics, a long-odds dream at best given current form.
Main photo:-Australian Open 2023 Injured Rafa Nadal loses second round match – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
