Paris – Since he has 14 Roland Garros titles under his belt, Rafael Nadal’s happiness in Paris should come as no surprise. On Tuesday at Philippe Chatrier Centre Court, the Spaniard put on a show of smiles, jokes, and irony, but beneath it all, there are some lingering doubts and some dark clouds under his smile.
As he showed her the fingers on that hand, a sweaty Rafael Nadal, wearing a white Wimbledon shirt, said to his fellow countryman Anabel Medina, the captain of the Billie Jean King Cup.
The biggest stadium in Spanish sports history, the stadium where it all happened, was enormous. Notable tennis players who have won 14 titles include Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya (champion in 1998), David Ferrer (double finalist), and Carlos Alcaraz (champion last month).
If there was water, Nadal enquired of Medina. And there was, naturally, but not in the ubiquitous plastic bottles of the ATP Tour.
There was a need for a water bottle, which had to be filled from a jerry can that was kept inside the center court cooler. In order to open the tap, Nadal needed assistance from Medina, which took a few minutes.
Does any adhesive remain? As Angel Ruiz Cotorro repositioned the bandages on his fingers for the umpteenth time, Nadal repeated the question.
I have to rest’ and “I have not recovered” were among the other phrases spoken in the afternoon. Moya, his coach, and Ferrer, the captain of the Davis Cup, were on the other side of the net.
It seems that Nadal is still a mystery. With barely any official competition in 2023, the Spaniard is hoping for a strong Olympic Games in 2024, having participated in just six tournaments and 17 matches the previous year. That is obviously very significant for him, since he won gold in Rio 2016 in doubles and Beijing 2008 in singles.
The journey through Bastad, where he made it to his first final in a quarter of a century, only serves to heighten the doubts. The crushing loss to Portuguese player Nuno Borges in the championship match—a player against whom it is unimaginable that Nadal could lose—in the final raises questions about Nadal’s form going into Paris in 2024.
Ruiz Cotorro had his work cut out for him because Nadal would often pause his training to reposition the bandages on his left hand, making jokes with the physician about the “glue that expired in 1972” that he was using to try to fit them.
What is the issue with Nadal’s hand? Ferrer grinned in response to CLAY’s query at the conclusion of the training.
It’s better than ever, nothing at all.
“Expired tape, nothing else,” the Davis Cup captain taunted, putting the joke aside.
Though Nadal’s game may be called into question, his good humor during practice will never be questioned. The Mallorcan brought up a crucial point regarding the subpar lodging options in the Olympic Village when he approached Alcaraz, his Olympic doubles partner, toward the conclusion.
Professional tennis players are not accustomed to sharing towels or sleeping on cardboard beds. For Alcaraz, Nadal had a suggestion.
According to the 14-time champion, “I’m not sure if we should get some towels in the locker room.”
“How about we stage a towel raid?” the newly crowned champion joked.