Rafael Nadal said he would “struggle to keep going” despite suffering an injury after beating Casper Roode in the final to win his 14th French Open title on Sunday.
The record 22-time Grand Slam champion is suffering from a chronic left foot problem and said earlier this week he wasn’t sure how long he could continue and every match at Roland Garros could be his last.
On the eve of the final, he even stated that he would prefer to lose on Sunday in exchange for a new leg.
Nadal beat Roode 6-3, 6-3, 6-0, saying, ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll keep fighting to get going.’
“For me, it’s incredible to play here. It’s an incredible feeling.”
Nadal’s victory in the clay-court major was his 112th victory against only three losses.
His participation in the tournament was still in doubt earlier in the season after another absence due to a rib stress fracture.
Sunday’s win comes 17 years after the day Nadal made his Roland Garros debut in 2005.
The 36-year-old, the oldest man to win the French Open, paid tribute to his team for helping it stay on top of the game.
“I don’t know what I would have done in terms of injuries if it wasn’t for the team, my family and everyone around me,” Nadal said.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have retired long ago…
“I never thought I would be here at 36 years old, being competitive again, playing the finals once again on the most important court of my career.
“To me it means everything. It means a lot of energy to try to keep going.”
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