Despite 14 French Open wins, ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal won’t be given any preferential treatment at the Slam, says tournament director

Rafael Nadal won't be getting any preferential treatment at this year's French Open. 

Despite 14 French Open wins, ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal won’t be given any preferential treatment at the Slam, says tournament director

Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

One of the most anticipated moments of the year is the return of Rafael Nadal at the French Open. After being forced to stay on the sidelines due to a nasty injury, the Spaniard made a comeback to tennis this year and hopes to give his career a fruitful ending.

The Spaniard has won 14 titles in this tournament and is, without a doubt, one of the preferred players to enter directly into the main draw for Roland Garros. 

YouTube video

However, the tournament director remains unmoved and does not give any hints about the preferential treatment. Instead, he spoke otherwise and revealed that he did not have any preferential plans as of now. 

FS Video
I know that this kind of preferential treatment took place at Wimbledon at one time, with pros and cons, but here, it is not in the plans. 
 Said Amelie Mauresmo in a recent interview

With that being said, there is no denying that fans would hope for some preferential treatment given Nadal’s history in the tournament. That’s not all; interestingly enough, a possible Nadal-Djokovic face-off in the first round of the tournament has been keeping fans on their toes. 

Rafael Nadal is not 100% about his participation in the French Open

14-time singles French Open winner Rafael Nadal is one of the most-awaited faces at the 2024 French Open. Despite the obvious issue about his fitness, the fans remain hopeful about Nadal’s last resort in his backyard. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

However, Nadal remains unsure about his participation. In a recent press conference ahead of the Mutua Madrid Open, the Spaniard revealed that he is still not 100%, and if he continued to feel that way, there wouldn’t be any French Open to look forward to. 

If I arrive Paris the way I feel today, I will not play. I will play Roland Garros if I feel competitive. If I can play, I play. If I can’t play, I can’t. It won’t be the end of the world or the end of my career. I still got goals after Roland Garros, like the Olympics.
Said Rafael Nadal via the Madrid Open press. 

With a clear motive to play at the Paris Olympics, Nadal is ready to skip his favorite tournament to be ready for the games. Currently, he has gotten off to a great start with a win over 16-year-old Darwin Blanch and will soon play Alex De Minaur in the next round. 

In Case You Missed It: