Rafael Nadal enjoyed a highly emotional day yesterday on Philippe Chatrier, honoured by Roland Garros for his services to the tournament.
The greatest champion in the event’s history, the 14-time winner was welcomed back with great fanfare, unsurprisingly so.
He is considered a god when he nears the Parisian clay, on which he dominated so many opponents across his glittering career.
However, everyone could see he was slowing down in the last few years, with his body regularly failing him and preventing him from competing at the highest level.
Retirement loomed, and it was eventually confirmed late last year. Speaking after yesterday’s ceremony though, the 38-year-old has not ruled out a return to tennis despite these crucial physical factors.
Rafael Nadal teases tennis comeback
It seemed strange to see Rafael Nadal, clad in his all-black suit, sat in the French Open media room answering questions.
He had not just finished a gruelling match on Philippe Chatrier, nor was he celebrating another title triumph. Instead, he was effectively just a spectator.
But, having been personally invited to attend on that specific day so he could be present for his ceremony, arguably his press conference will be the most coveted from yesterday’s tennis.
And, asked if he would ever consider playing in front of a crowd again, Nadal would not rule it out: ‘I didn’t use a racquet yet after my retirement. So it’s eight months without being on a tennis court. But I will. I will be back at some point, because at some point I will prepare myself to play an exhibition or something like this.
‘Even if I had a lot of opportunities to do that, I need to give myself a time of disconnection, you know, because at the end, to play exhibitions is not only go there and play the match, it’s about all the preparation that requires that. When you play an exhibition you want to show a good level of tennis for the fans and for everybody who organizes.’
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both considering exhibition matches
Nadal is not alone in considering a return to tennis, with Roger Federer another who has suggested that his relationship with the sport is far from finished.
And, given these two arguably played one of the most iconic exhibition matches in the sport’s history, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t be keen to reemerge from their respective retirements and dust off the old racket.
Federer hinted at an exhibition match as recently as April, sparking mass intrigue amongst a tennis community that has been starved of his elegance and magic on the court.
But now with Nadal having retired too, an even bigger void has been left in the sport.
To see them both return, even if it were for one last match, would draw enough intrigue to shut down tennis for the day. It seems neither of these titanic legends can quite let go of the sport to which they dedicated their lives.
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