Boris Becker believes Rafael Nadal will not enter the match-court unless he feels he can win championships. The German world #1 believes that Nadal has it in him to grace his farewell tour with winning ways.
The 37-year-old is expected to play twice in Roland Garros in 2024 and Becker thinks Nadal, seeing the dangling carrot will target the Clay real-estate in Paris for both French Open crown and a third Olympic gold.
“Nadal is a role model for everyone. Millions of fans around the world want to see him back on the tennis court and not in the press conference, where he declares that he may not be able to play again,” Becker said according to Eurosport.
“I also believe that he would never come back if he doesn’t see a chance for himself. So, he’s not coming back to play the first or second round, but to win tournaments.
“His ultimate goal will always be Paris, will possibly be the [2024] Olympics in Paris, which will be played on clay at Roland Garros. But for that he needs the legendary match practice, and he can only get that at tournaments.
“So it’s hard to get started. He’ll get a bit of a kicking at first, but then we’ll go into February – if he stays healthy – and March and April, when it’s played on clay. Then he’ll have had his ten, 15 matches – and I would never bet against Rafael Nadal on clay.”
The former world No. 1 feels that Nadal needs nothing to prove himself however, the absence of the raging bull would create a vacuum that won’t be easy to fill.
“He is not only a tennis legend, he is a sports legend,” Becker said.
“He is one of the most important sportsmen of the last 25 years. He has changed tennis and made it even more popular in his home country of Spain.
“He can become the president if he wants to. I think there would be a big gap if Rafa doesn’t play anymore, but I think he will pick up a racquet again.
“The clay court season will be his priority. If he is fit, he is still my favourite for the French Open, but even Rafael Nadal gets older eventually.”
Roland Garros is all set to cherish the premium USP to host Summer Olympics after the second Grand Slam of the tennis calendar in 2024 with French Open schedule from May 20 to June 9 and Olympics kicking off in late July. It will also be the for an Olympics tennis event to be played on clay after 1992 Barcelona Olympics.