Tennis icon Rafael Nadal has made an honest admission after watching the epic French Open final as a fan this month. Nadal was one of millions around the world captivated by the epic contest between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which the Spaniard won 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) after saving three match points.
Dubbed the ‘King of Clay’, 14 of Nadal’s 22 major titles came at Roland Garros. This year signified the first time the tournament in Paris had taken place since his retirement last year. However, he’s now insisted there were no cravings to be on court as he watched the epic drama unfold in the final.
Refuting suggestions that he would have loved to have been in the shoes of Alcaraz on the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Nadal said: “I don’t feel like I would have liked to be there.
“I watched the tournament like any other fan, excited to see a place that was so important during my career and simply enjoying the tennis. This is my new reality, I don’t look beyond that.”
Speaking from a charity golf tournament in Spain, Nadal did admit to being gripped as Alcaraz fought back from two sets down. However, despite voicing his pleasure at his compatriot winning his fifth Grand Slam title, he also warned it was no formality that he and Sinner would continue to dominate at the top level.
“It was a match for the ages,” he said. “I’m very happy for Carlos. It was a spectacular final, very exciting. Ending up with the cup after Sinner was so close to taking it for so long, I’m very happy for him.
“There will be Grand Slam champions every year, and each of them will tread their own path. New stars will always appear, and here we have two of them. They are two players who are head and shoulders above the rest at the moment.”
Alcaraz and Sinner have now won the last six Slam tournaments between them. That run dates back to September 2023 when Novak Djokovic prevailed at the US Open.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk