Rafael Nadal issues statement on Barcelona Open withdrawal in blow to French Open hopes | Tennis | Sport

But his three-month injury lay-off raises further concerns on what kind of level Nadal will be able to achieve when he does return to the court. However, Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes the 36-year-old will be ready for the next slam.

“He knows if there is one he can win, it’s this one, more than any other,” he said. “So all his program, whatever he’s done since the Australian Open, his number one goal is to win Roland Garros. So he will be ready. Rafa is a player that progresses match after match.

“He needs matches. The older he gets, the less matches he needs because the more he’s mastering his game. Most important for him will be movement, because it’s the base of his game.

“Originally, a player who was defending a lot, he’s not anymore. He has developed a lot of weapons. But still, movement is the base of his game.”