Rafael Nadal returned to the courts after an absence of more than one month due to injury and lost to young promising Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Tennis Championships.
But the 21-times Grand Slam champion knows he needs some time to get back to his best form.
Nadal, who was sidelined with a rib injury at the Indian Wells Championships in March, will be hoping to gain momentum in Rome before attempting to extend his record and win the French Open for the 14th time.
The 35-year-old, this year’s Australian Open winner, has been plagued by injuries during his two-decade long career, so he needs time to fully recover.
“When you go six weeks without touching the racket, and there’s a chance to move your body… my body looks like an old machine,” Nadal told reporters at the Italian Open. In order for this machine to work, it needs some time.
“It’s not the same when I’m 19 or 36 with everything that’s happened to me in my career,” he added. You need to build confidence again and get moving and then start feeling comfortable playing tennis.
“It’s more about feeling confident in your moves, getting your speed back, getting your playing style back on the sand, and let’s
We see. I’m sure I can play great. I need time, but this week may be positive or not, no one knows.
Nadal, who won three titles this year, lost to Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros semi-finals last year, only the Spaniard’s third defeat at the French Open since his debut in 2005.
Nadal said that he is doing his best to be fully prepared for the Grand Slam, which begins on May 22.
