Rafael Nadal recently joked about his son Rafa Jr’s presence at the 2024 French Open. The upcoming event is likely to be the Spaniard’s last campaign at Roland Garros as he inches closer to imminent retirement with each day passing.
He will get the ball rolling at Roland Garros on Monday, May 27, against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the first round. It will notably be his 11th meeting with Zverev as he holds a commanding 7-3 lead over the German in terms of head-to-head.
The current season will likely be the Spaniard’s last as a professional, hence, he’s traveled to tournaments with additional company including his wife Maria Francisca, sister Maria Isabel, and most importantly his one-year-old son Rafa Jr.
Rafa Jr. flew to Australia for his papa’s Brisbane International effort to begin the year. He was then in the team box at Las Vegas when the 22-time Grand Slam champion took on Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition called Netflix Slam.
Unsurprisingly, Junior attended the ATP 500 in Barcelona and the Masters 1000 in Madrid and Rome as Nadal tightened his seatbelt for the French Open. He’s now set foot in Paris with his family members, including his son, to swing at the claycourt Major, potentially one last time.
Therefore, a reporter couldn’t help but ask the Spaniard about the specialty of competing at Roland Garros in front of Junior for the first and most probably the last time.
The reporter was in for a hilarious reality check as the 14-time champion claimed that Rafa Jr. is too young to process anything.
“I donât think he [Rafa Jr.] is watching me, I think he doesnât realize anything yet,” Nadal said to the press room’s amusement.
Rafael Nadal: “Possible that it is my last Roland Garros, but I can not say 100 percent”
During the aforementioned press conference at the 2024 French Open, Rafael Nadal added more uncertainty to his future as a professional tennis player.
He refrained from convincingly claiming that this was going to be his last Roland Garros bid.
“It is possible that it is my last Roland Garros, but I can not say 100 percent, sorry. I can not predict the future and I’m not in a position to say and I think it’s good news for me. I don’t want to close the door,” he said.
He has already participated in practice sessions with the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune ahead of his matchup against Alexander Zverev. Notably, he won the practice sets against both Medvedev and Rune.
