Rafael Nadal has only played one tournament after the coron break and it was the Italian Open where he went out to the quarterfinals.
Now he is back where he has dominated so much for the past fifteen years, on the gravel in the grand slam tournament French Open.
He has won all but three tournaments since 2005, but now the conditions are not the best.
- The conditions are a bit extreme for playing an outdoor tournament.
They are the most difficult for me for many reasons.
The ball is completely different, it is super slow and heavy.
It's very cold.
And of course, there has been less preparation than usual.
The reason for the bad weather is that the tournament, which is usually played from May to June, has been postponed until now.
After all, a victory over Roland Garros would not just be one in the crowd for Nadal.
If he wins, he will touch rival Roger Federer's record of 20 grand slam wins.
Federer is not in the tournament due to a knee injury.
Nadal premieres against the 83-ranked Belarusian Egor Gerasimov.
- Nadal will always be a big favorite when he plays and is healthy, says the third-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem who won the US Open two weeks ago.
The first-seeded women's player, Romanian Simona Halep, is also shaking before the weather.
- I notice the cold.
It feels like I'm feeling a little tough.
But it is the same for everyone, she says.
ARCHIVE: 200 days later - Nadal back with message (17/9)
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200 days later - Nadal back with message Photo: Bildbyrån