French Open: Rafael Nadal - "I keep fighting"
Because of resignation. Immediately after his 14th success at the French Open in Paris, Rafael Nadal announced that he would continue fighting.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jun 05, 2022, 06:16 pm
By Jens Huiber from Roland Garros
Spanish journalists knew better before the final between Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud at the 2022 French Open. The rumor mill was still bubbling: would the final act in Roland Garros also be the last in the incredible career of the Manacor legend? "No way," was the tenor of the Iberian reporters. And still on the podium on the Philippe-Chatrier court, Nadal reiterated that. He does not know what will happen in the future. But: “I keep fighting.”.
And of course that's a good thing. Because a replacement as a champion, especially on the Terre Battue in Paris, should then be done in a sporty way. And not because a 14-time champion has retired. Novak Djokovic shook the throne last year with his semi-final win over Nadal, Casper Ruud was never able to do so.
Will Nadal serve at Wimbledon?
112 wins in three defeats (two against Djokovic, one against Robin Söderling) at the Stade Roland Garros: This record is so outrageous that it is unparalleled across all sports. The semi-final against Alexander Zverev could have been hairy, due to the circumstances and the strong game of the German. But even if Zverev had won the second round - two more would have been missing.
So will Nadal also serve at Wimbledon? That seems rather unlikely at the moment. Because the decision of the ATP and the WTA not to award points for the world rankings on Church Road this year due to the exclusion of the Russian and Belarusian players could, of all people, take away Rafael Nadal's ambition to attack on grass with all his physical problems. Because Nadal is just under 1,300 points behind the new leader Daniil Medvedev in the ATP world rankings. For a change in the top position, the 36-year-old would have had to win at Wimbledon and collect 2,000 points.
Unlikely (and also impossible due to the ATP decision), but if anyone could have been trusted, it would be Rafael Nadal.
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