• Novak Djokovic. "I try to reach 16 hours without eating calories"

Today's celebration in Manacor, entertained by the students of its Academy, was very different from the usual ones in Cafe de La Paix, scene of the celebrations of Rafa Nadal in Roland Garros. However, on his 34th birthday, the second oldest tennis player in the Top-10 returned to pose with the cake with the same smile as in his first participation on the clay in Paris, back in 2005.

"If health helps you still have at least three or four years to compete at a high level. Perhaps it will be more, because this break has allowed you to slow down and not strain your body," said Toni Nadal , his coach for more than two decades, during an interview published today in La Gazzetta dello Sport . Rafa's uncle considers that veterans are now "the most benefited" by this anomaly in the circuit.

After two months of desperate confinement, Nadal works hard at his Academy to return to his 2019 level and thus have more options to match Roger Federer's 20 'majors' . In the last two weeks it has had an impact on its preparation on the hard surface, while the 38-year-old Swiss has not even returned to activity yet.

"Many uncertainties"

In any case, now is the most arduous task at the organizational level, a return to the tracks after that victory in the Acapulco final against Taylor Fritz . It was March 1, although it seems like a century has passed.

"You have to look to the future with caution and being clear that the main thing is to preserve the health of the players and all the staff," Rafa warned Sunday during an interview for France 3 television, without even venturing a date for a hypothetical return. to the competition.

Plans for the end of August, as a prelude to the Roland Garros dispute in late September, have yet to convince Nadal, who sees "a lot of uncertainties" on the horizon. At the moment, he will only participate "if the conditions are in place so that we can all compete with the same possibilities."

Guy Forget , director of Roland Garros and Bernard Giudicelli , president of the French Federation continue to redouble efforts to embed his Grand Slam on the 2020 agenda. His task list includes convincing the great dominator of clay, 12-time champion in Paris, where it boasts 93 victories and only two defeats.

In the event that the tournament had to be postponed to 2021, Nadal could assault the 1972 record of Andrés Gimeno , the oldest in raising the Musketeers Cup, at 34 years, nine months and 19 days. The absolute record in a major is still held by Ken Rosewall , champion of the 1972 Australian Open at 37 years and 54 days.

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Rafael Nadal
  • tennis
  • Roland Garros
  • sports

TenisSabatini: "Graf always brought out the best in me"

TennisThe best imitator of the greats of tennis: "I know Nadal from fry, but I don't dare with his left foot"

TennisThe war of the rich and the uncertain future of the 'day laborers': "I still don't believe anything about the aid"