Nadal: 'My body has been a jungle'

Rafael Nadal soaked in the moment after what may have been his final match at Roland Garros, the tournament that has become a second home for the Spaniard. After putting in a strong performance in a tight, three-set defeat to Alexander Zverev, Nadal took the opportunity to address to Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd on Monday.

"It's difficult for me to talk. I don't know if it's going to be the last time that I am going to be here in front of you, honestly," he said. "I am not 100 per cent sure, but if it's the last time, I enjoyed it. The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and today. The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words but for me it's so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt, in the place that I love the most."

Thank you, Rafa 🫶 @rolandgarros | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IlHJePzuvo

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 27, 2024

After offering his congratulations to Zverev — two years after their most recent Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting ended in disaster for the German, who suffered a gruesome ankle injury — Nadal expressed just how much this potential return to Roland Garros fuelled him during his injury struggles.

"I have been going through a very tough two years in terms of injuries. I went all through all this process with the dream to be back here in Roland Garros," he said. "It's true that the first round hasn't been the ideal one. I needed something else. I was competitive, I had my chances, but it was not enough against a great player like Sascha."

In his post-match press conference, Nadal shed more light on his recovery process and the constant challenges he faced while he was out of action.

"My body has been a jungle for two years," he said. "You don't know what to expect. I wake up one day and I found a snake biting me. Another day a tiger (smiling). It has been a big fight with all the things that I went through, But the dynamic is positive the last few weeks."

While Nadal acknowledged that this was likely his final match at Roland Garros, he reiterated his comments from before the tournament that he would not rule out a return in 2025 — a sentiment that drew big applause from the French fans.

"For me it's difficult to say what's going on in the future," Nadal explained on court. "Probably it's a big percentage that I will not be back here playing at Roland Garros, but I can't say 100 per cent. I enjoy a lot playing here, I am traveling with the family and I am having fun. The body is feeling a little bit better now than two months ago."

Whether or not he returns to Roland Garros, he confirmed his plans to be back on Court Philippe Chatrier for the Paris Olympics, where he will bid for his second gold medal in singles (and possibly a second gold in doubles, as well).

"I have some goals in front [of me]," he continued. "I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics. That motivates me. That's going to be another chance and I really hope to be well prepared.

"The amount of feelings that I had on this amazing court during all my tennis career is just unbelievable. I never could imagine when I was a kid that I would be here, almost 38 years old, with all the success that I had here, winning so many times, something that I never could dream about."