“I arrived here a bit as a last minute decision, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to play
,” declared the 22nd Grand Slam winner during a Tennis: Rafael Nadal will make his return to clay at Barcelona faces Cobolli Rafael Nadal, 37, whose last match on the ATP Tour was in January in Brisbane, withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters last week, saying his body was not ready for the competition .
Nadal continued by affirming that he had no doubt about his presence:
“Tomorrow I will be on the court, nothing makes me doubt. I'm coming back from two difficult years, my body doesn't let me follow the schedule. On a personal level, being in Barcelona is a gift. I'm facing it like it's my last year."
Former world number one Nadal said he plans to retire after the 2024 season but definitely wants to play at the French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles. In Barcelona, he has won 12 titles, but has not competed in the clay court event since 2021. His first match will be against 21-year-old Italian Flavio Cobolli this Tuesday.