Rafa Nadal declines Roland Garros tribute: Is he closer to continuing to play in 2025?
Rafael Nadal used to have his first media appearance in Paris on Friday before the start of the tournament. This time it was delayed to Saturday so the uncertainty and suspense about what he was going to say increased.
Nadal said he was not in a position to say goodbye to the tournament that has seen him win 14 times. The organization already knew it because it had received the refusal by the Spaniard to a tribute when he had initially given the go-ahead.
This was confirmed yesterday by Amelie Mauresmo, director of the French Open, in statements made to Amazon Prime France, which has the rights to the event.
Mauresmo said that everything was ready, but that Nadal backed off when he saw the quality of his training, with far fewer limitations than in Barcelona, Mutua Madrid Open or Rome.
In 2017, on the occasion of his tenth Musketeers Cup, Roland Garros made a mosaic at the Philppe Chatrier and gave him a life-size reproduction of the champion’s trophy, something it had never done with another competitor.
Nadal’s short-term goal was the Olympic Games in Paris (July 27 to August 4). The dream of continuing to play after the Olympic Games is now closer.
