For the 14th time in his career, Rafael Nadal will tread the central Roland-Garros on Sunday with the aim of lifting the trophy at arm’s length. The Spaniard has never stumbled at this stage of the tournament. But can “Rafa” still achieve the feat, following a particularly trying fortnight in Paris?
• Read also: ‘It was very hard to see him cry’: Nadal advances to 14th final following Zverev injury
• Read also: Leylah leaves Paris in pain
• Read also: Roland-Garros: the king is not dead
At 36 – which he celebrated on Friday – and with a left foot bruised by an incurable disease, Nadal has been struggling like never before in his sandbox for two weeks.
In the round of 16, “The Ogre of Ocher” was pushed for five rounds by Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime, an extremely rare occurrence at Porte d’Auteuil, which had happened to him only three times before this edition.
“The King of Clay” then defeated a strangely erratic Novak Djokovic in the quarters, in what was seen as the final before the final between the world number 1 and the man with 13 French Open titles.
Then, on Friday, in the semi-final, it was thanks to his almost unequaled determination that “the bull of Manacor” snatched the first set in the tiebreaker from the German Alexander Zverev.
Worrying left foot
The match was already three hours long when the third seed tore ligaments in his right foot at the end of the second set, following a bad slip.
Forced to leave the field on crutches, Zverev conceded at the same time a victory of 7-6 (8), 6-6 and an abandonment to Nadal, who himself seemed physically inconvenienced in this duel.
Because the left foot of the great champion has been worrying tennis enthusiasts for a while. Last year he was forced into the operation and an absence of half a year.
He came back strong at the start of the season, winning the Australian Open and 21 straight wins. But the Müller-Weiss syndrome, a condition he has suffered from since the start of his career and which attacks a bone in his foot, has since forced him to limit tournaments.
What next for Nadal?
In Paris, Nadal still claims to “feel good physically”. Even if he has already spent 18 hours in the field since he has been in Paris. He is in the French capital with his doctor, he explained at the end of his quarter once morest “Djoko”.
But there is an aura of mystery surrounding ‘Rafa’ in this tournament. In this same press briefing, he said he did not know “what will happen following” this fortnight.
Will he skip the grass season, the rest of 2022, or put his racquet away for good? The answer might follow on Sunday.
A 1st once morest a 22nd
But before, there will be this match once morest the Norwegian Casper Ruud.
A victory once morest the eighth seed would not only allow him to win a 14th Roland-Garros title, but also a 22nd major trophy, improving his own record.
Ruud, 23, is also a dominant player on ocher, a surface on which he has won 66 wins and seven titles since 2020.
However, this will be his first appearance at this stage of a major.
The two players have never faced each other but the Norwegian is a big fan of the Spaniard and has been training at his academy for four years.
“I might tell you regarding all his finals here, I saw them on television,” he told reporters following his victory once morest Croatian Marin Cilic on Friday.
“This is a special occasion for both of us. He is trying to win a 22nd Grand Slam, and me, my first. The difference is huge, added Ruud. I’m the underdog, but I intend to savor this moment. »
