Naomi Broady has shared something alarming that she’s noticed about Rafael Nadal ahead of the French Open.
The 14-time winner of the tournament is back at Roland Garros for the first time since 2022 – and fans can’t wait to see him in action.
Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in the final the last time he played at the tournament and he’s not lifted a major since.
The 37-year-old didn’t play in the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia and he will be keen to ensure he’s as fit as possible in Paris.
Now, Broady has been discussing Nadal ahead of the second major of the year and she’s spotted some alarm bells.
- READ MORE: Rafael Nadal arrived at Roland Garros
Naomi Broady notices ‘warning bells’ over Rafael Nadal
It’s fair to say that staying fit is going to be a big challenge for Nadal in the coming weeks.
The last couple of years have seen him blighted by injuries and he will be desperate to have a strong run at Roland Garros.
Broady thought Nadal was pretty abject in his defeat to Hubert Hurkacz at the Italian Open and she’s worried about the Spaniard.
She told Sky Sports News: “Rafa was not himself in the last match, it was a lot of warning bells for the Rafa fans. He just wasn’t himself, he was a shadow of his former self and it was tough to see considering he’s been such a champion in the past.
“Again, interesting, we don’t know when Rafa is going to retire, there are even more rumours over his retirement than there are with Andy Murray – will he retire after the French Open where he’s been so dominant, is it going to be the Olympics in Paris, we don’t know.”
Nadal will be dangerous draw for one seeded player
It’s quite astonishing that Nadal comes into this tournament as the 276th-best player in the world.
As a result, he’s going to be a seriously tough draw for one of the seeded players when the first round is revealed.
Nadal is a legendary figure in the game and he has produced many magical moments when it comes to Roland Garros.
Broady is fair to suggest that some of his latest performances have given cause for concern.
However, much like Andy Murray, Nadal is now coming towards the end of his career and his days of competing with the younger players are coming to an end.
It will be fascinating to see who Nadal draws and then how he competes at this tournament.
Given what he’s achieved before it would be magical if he could reach the second week but as Broady alludes to, that might prove tricky this time around.
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