Eye of the Coach #89: “Nadal is not done, he can win Roland-Garros again”

Patrick Mouratoglou has tipped Rafael Nadal to return to Roland-Garros for at least another year, saying that is he is not yet finished and can win the tournament for a 15th time.

After playing just three matches in the best part of two years due to hip and abdominal issues, Nadal pushed Alexander Zverev hard in their first-round match on Monday, a vast improvement on his performances since he returned to the Tour in April.

The Frenchman said on Instagram the massive strides Nadal made in the past few weeks and the way he played against Zverev had convinced him that the Spaniard will not retire yet and will be a major threat at the Olympics and perhaps even Roland-Garros in 2025.

“Everybody thought, oh, that’s the last match of Rafa or it’s clear now that he cannot compete at that level; all these statements are completely wrong”, Mouratoglou said.

“I saw the opposite. I saw someone who’s now feeling great, because he knows he can still compete at that level. “

key moments

0.00 – This is not Rafa’s last appearance at Roland-Garros
0.20 – Nadal’s level much improved from two weeks ago
0.35 – Considering the level he was able to produce, he believes now he can compete at highest level
0.45 – Not playing Wimbledon a strong sign he thinks he can win the Olympics
1.00 – Nadal will do well at Olympics with more practise time and better conditions
1.20 – If he does win Olympics, he is a strong candidate to win Roland-Garros next year
1.42 – Two reasons Nadal would stop: injury or a drop in level required to compete at the top
2.00 – If he stays injury-free, Nadal will not yet stop his career