"I have no doubt that the foot will last until the end of the tournament" - Carlos Moya on Rafael Nadal's injury troubles
Rafael Nadal, who turns 36 today, will face World No. 3 Alexander Zverev for a spot in the final of the 2022 French Open. The Spaniard entered his favorite tournament this year with below-par preparations. He did not start his Roland Garros campaign as one of the favorites, which is highly unusual for the 13-time French Open winner.
Nadal, for the first time since 2004, reached Paris without a single claycourt title to his name. After being out for around six weeks due to a rib injury he suffered at Indian Wells in March, the Spaniard returned to the tour in Madrid where he lost to compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Nadal was then seen limping off the court in Rome after losing to Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
21 Grand Slam titles
91 ATP singles titles
🔹 21 Grand Slam titles
🔸 91 ATP singles titles
🔹 Over 1,000 match wins
Happy birthday to the legend, @RafaelNadal! https://t.co/qTn6v3elKE
However, the 21-time Grand Slam champion displayed phenomenal grit and determination to reach the Roland Garros last four. After winning his first three matches in straight sets, Nadal overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic in five and four sets respectively.
While speaking to the media on Thursday, his coach Carlos Moya assured fans that Nadal's foot will not cause him any trouble over the next few days.
"I have no doubt that the foot will last until the end of the tournament. He will need it to beat Zverev, who is a great champion. Despite his ups and downs, Zverev is always there and he's a born competitor. We're talking about a player who can come out of here being number one in the world," said Moya.
Four past Team Europe players will fight for a place in the #rolandgarros men's final. Who makes it?
Nadal
Zverev
Ruud
Cilic https://t.co/ytQHOek9j2
Moya praised Rafael Nadal for the way he has fought so far, and said he was not surprised by his compatriot's performance. Moya also stressed the fact that the job was not done yet.
"Rafa is in the semifinals, winning five games. And the truth is that we are very happy. Our expectations regarding him are always very high. We know what he can do. We believed in this a lot, but not because we beat Novak, we think that he has already won the tournament," said Moya.
Rafael Nadal is chasing his 22nd Grand Slam title
Rafael Nadal's Australian Open triumph earlier this year saw him become the first male player to win 21 Major titles, going past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who have 20 Grand Slam titles each.
If the Spaniard wins his next two matches, he will lift his 22nd Major championship and a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.