Fourteen-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal said there was still a chance this year’s tournament in Paris may not be his last, in comments ahead of his tough opener against fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

The Spaniard, who turns 38 next month, skipped last year’s tournament due to a hip injury that needed surgery and has said he expects to retire at the end of 2024.

But he wasn’t ready to repeat those words on Saturday.

“If I have to tell you it’s 100 per cent my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I hope you understand,” Nadal told a packed press conference.

“I don’t want to close 100 per cent the door. First, I’m enjoying playing tennis,” he said, adding that he was “more or less healthy .. and playing without limitation”.

“Maybe in one month and a half I’ll say ‘OK, it’s enough, I can’t keep going’. But today I cannot guarantee that it’s going to be the last one.”

Nadal skipped the Australian Open in January with a muscle problem, and the 22-time grand slam champion had raised doubts about his fitness for the year’s second major with lingering issues in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.

Nadal turned his attention to Monday’s clash with Zverev, a rematch of the 2022 semi-final when the German retired after an ankle injury.

“It’s a super-tough first round. Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It’s a possibility. I don’t want to hide that,” Nadal said, referring to a second-round defeat by Hubert Hurkacz in the Italian capital this month.

Novak ‘not a favourite’

World No.1 Novak Djokovic said he does not consider himself a favourite ahead of his title defence here, which begins with a first-round match against local hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Sunday.

Djokovic’s barren run ahead of Roland Garros continued as the 24-time grand slam winner was beaten 4-6, 6-0, 1-6 by Tomas Machac in the Geneva Open semi-finals on Friday, weeks after losing heavily to Alejandro Tabilo in Rome.

“Of course I am worried... I haven’t been playing good at all this year,”the 37-year-old said. Asked about his title defence in Paris, Djokovic said: “(I’ve had) some (good) matches here and there but it is what it is. You have to accept it. I don’t consider myself a favourite there.”