“I don’t know one hundred percent what will apply to him (Djokovic). We haven’t played a match against each other lately. We last met here last year. I haven’t played such a match in the last three months, so it’s going to be a big challenge for me.” Reuters quoted Nadal as saying.
Thirteen-time champion Roland Garros, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Friday, advanced to the quarterfinals after a five-hundred-strong battle with ninth-placed Félix Auger-Aliassim from Canada. He has lost only three matches at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris since 2005, the last of which was last year’s defeat with Djokovic, with whom he has budgets 28-30.
“Novak will probably trust him. I know my situation, and I take it. But I will fight,” said Nadal, who also rejoiced at the Stade de France on Saturday in the final victory of Real Madrid in the Champions League over Liverpool ( 1-0).
While Djokovic showed rising form before the Paris tournament and triumphed in Rome after failing the season, Nadala suffered from chronic foot problems in the Italian capital and was eliminated in the third round with Denis Shapovalov. He had also worked with rib injuries for almost two months before.
“But I have nothing to complain about because I’m in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. Two and a half weeks ago I didn’t even know if I would be able to start here. To be honest, I don’t know if every game I play here will be my last “Roland Garros in his career. This is my situation now,” said the native of Mallorca.
The fifth player in the current ATP rankings will try to fight against the defending champion Djokovic to the limit. “I try to enjoy and fight as much as possible. I still want to live my dream, play tennis, fight my way to the final stage of Roland Garros and play against the world number one. I hope to be able to play at my highest level, and then I’ll see Nadal added.
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