Rafael Nadal arrives in Paris to test clay court in Roland Garros

Will Rafa participate in the French Open? (Getty Images)

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Rafael Nadal might be joining the upcoming French Open tournament after arriving in Paris, France, to test out the clay court condition on May 20, 2024.

After a courageous campaign during the recently concluded Italian Open where he reached the Round of 64 stage, Nadal just hinted a Grand Slam return after setting foot in the famous Roland Garros.

The 37-year-old 22-time Grand Slam champion arrived with his head coach Carlos Moya late in the afternoon together with several members of his training team.

Surprised with Nadal’s arrival at the Court Philippe Chatrier, almost 6,000 fans flocked to the venue to witness the living legend’s training routine.

It has been two years since Nadal competed in his pet surface in Roland Garros and there are still rumors that he might be missing the French Open depending on his health condition.

However, Nadal made a strong case of finishing the year strong after a promising campaign in Italy and in Madrid.

During the span of the two major tournaments, Nadal all finished his games without a walkover loss due to an injury and finished all of his matches.

Nadal already said that 2024 might be his last competing year and he is gunning for his 15th French Open title.

The leftie star won the most trophies in Roland Garros, collecting a total of 14 championship titles and was tagged as the most dominant tennis player to ever set foot in the clay court.

As of now, Nadal and his camp are yet to release a final statement whether he will be formally joining the Grand Slam tournament or will pull out days before the deadline of the submission of entry applications.