I must be at my best to win French Open, says Nadal

TIL Desk Sports/ Rafael Nadal may have won the French Open a record 12 times but the Spaniard feels this year’s conditions will be the most difficult he has ever faced at Roland Garros and mean he must be at his best to have a chance of retaining his title again.

The claycourt Grand Slam is usually held in May-June but was pushed back to the end of September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The weather is much cooler at this time of year and the temperatures have further dipped due to rain in Paris.

The organisers are also using a different ball, making the conditions more unfamiliar for the Spanish world number two. “What you need is the right energy to accept every single thing. That’s what I’m doing,” said Nadal, who prefers warmer conditions and faster claycourts in Paris.