Will Rafael Nadal take part in 2025 French Open? Compatriot Alex Corretja reveals chat

There was a lot of buzz around Rafael Nadal's first-round match in the 2024 French Open, held on Monday (May 27). Nadal returned to the Grand Slams after a long gap, his first-ever of the year, following a string of injuries. The Spaniard had a tough draw, facing Germany's Alexander Zverev. Despite putting up a fight, Nadal lost in straight sets3-6, 6-7, 3-6to fourth-seedZverev at the Roland Garros. At 37, with several injury concerns, many believe Nadal has played his last at the Roland Garros although the Spanish player remained unclear about his future. Now, former world number two and Nadal's compatriot Alex Corretja revealed a recent chat with the 14-time French Open winner to shed light on his future.

Following Nadal's first-round exit, the questionremains whether he will return to the French Open once (which he has dominated for almost two decades). In this regard, Corretja told Eurosport, "I spoke to him a couple of months ago and he was sure he wouldn't be back (at the French Open)."

He further opined,"But then I spoke to him a week ago, and he said to me it's the first time I've been practising here at Roland Garros that I feel no pain. He said he felt so good on the court and that his tennis is growing and doesn't see any reason why he can't come back at least one more time."

Corretja added, "But he also said, it depends on how I play. If I play awful against Zverev, maybe I won't come back. But the way he played, I believe he will think why not come back."

Although Nadal went down to Zverev in straight sets, there were moments where he gave his opponent a tough fight and also looked set to win the(second) set.

After his defeat against Zverev, Nadal hinted at missing the forthcoming Wimbledon to avoid switching from clay to grass and return to clay for the Paris Olympics, which starts in late July. If he can do well at the Olympics and remain injury-free, even if he makes selective appearances at the upcoming Grand Slams, he might feature in the 2025 French Open.