Nadal Admits To Doubting His Barcelona Open Participation

Rafael Nadal was unsure whether he would play at the 2024 Barcelona Open, but he was glad he had the chance to do so.

The Spaniard finally returned to the tennis courts earlier this week at the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona. Many people, including Nadal himself, seriously doubted the possibility of his participation at the event.

The goal for him was to play a match and remain healthy after that, and he succeeded. He actually played two, thanks to winning one, and left the event feeling good.

It was somewhat bittersweet, though, because he did admit that this was likely his last Barcelona Open participation, but he was glad at least that it happened on the tennis courts.

“At least, how things went, for me I had the chance to say goodbye here on court. That means a lot to me, because I probably felt one week ago that I was not able to play in this event. That would have been painful, so at least I played, I enjoyed the game, and now is the moment to keep going.”

Of course, this is not the final chapter of Nadal’s career. He’ll continue in the coming weeks, hoping for some positive signs. The week in Barcelona was very positive, and it encouraged him to keep going, but as always, Nadal treads carefully.

“I didn’t practice a lot, so that [performance] encourages me to keep going. It tells me that, if I’m able to spend days on the Tour and keep practising with the players, I really hope and believe that I can keep being competitive. If my body allows me to push the way that I need.”

The 22-time major winner wants to play at the Madrid Open, but despite already traveling to the Spanish capital, he’s yet to confirm that he will be able to play at the event, which he won five times in his career.