Rafael Nadal said he would “prefer to lose Sunday’s final” in exchange for a new left foot after making his 14th match of the French Open on Friday. Nadal reached the final after Alexander Zverev was forced to withdraw from their last collision with an ankle injury. Nadal, the 13-time champion, will pursue a record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam title on Sunday, but insisted during this Roland Garros that a chronic left leg injury means every match could be the last of his outstanding career.
“Without a doubt, I would rather lose the final,” said Nadal, who turned 36 on Friday.
“My opinion does not change. A new leg would allow me to be happier in my daily life.
“Winning is very good and gives you a rush of adrenaline, but it’s temporary and then you have to keep living.”
“I have a life ahead of me and in the future I would like to play sports with my friends. My happiness is before every title,” he insisted.
Nadal will face Casper Ruud in the final on Sunday.
Nadal, meanwhile, said it was only “human” for him to sympathize with Zverev after the injury forced him to retire from the semifinals.
The weeping German number three in the world, Zverev, had to leave the court in a wheelchair after falling at the end of the second set, which made him writhe and scream in agony.
When he returned to the court with Philip Shatrie on crutches to allow the match, the two men hugged warmly.
“If you’re human, you’re sorry for a colleague,” Nadal said.
Zverev was 7-6 (10/8) behind, 6-6 after more than three hours of play at the time of the terrible injury.
“It’s not easy to talk about. I hope he’s not very badly injured, I hope he’s not broken,” Nadal said. “I was with him when he did the ultrasound.
The match was played under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, creating severe wet conditions with 15,000 spectators.
However, Nadal said the court was not in bad shape.
“It was an accident, it was just an accident.
Nadal welcomed Zverev’s performance when the German tried to become the first German to reach the final after Michael Stich in 1996.
“It was a very difficult match. He played amazing and I know how much it means for him to win a Grand Slam tournament.
Increased
“The conditions were not perfect for me. I had to do a lot to survive. The first set was a miracle, but I struggled.”
(This story was not edited by NDTV staff and is automatically generated by a syndicated channel.)
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