As Rafael Nadal is finally bidding adieu to his favorite sport, this Mallarcan will be making his last appearance on Rolland Garros’s clay court, a place that complements Rafa more than anything. Among his total 18 appearances to date, Nadal has claimed the title 14 times. Now that he embarks on his final and 19th French Open attempt, Uncle Tony Nadal drops a surprising claim as he mentions “His dream end would be to win Roland Garros.”

In an interview with Diarios de Bicicleta, Rafael Nadal’s uncle Tony Nadal made a surprising claim about his nephew’s Roland Garros ambition. According to Tony Nadal, his 14-time French Open champion nephew might not participate in this exclusive clay court major if he doesn’t think enough chances for him to win that title. “It’s not going to drag himself, he still has confidence because of his mentality and way of being. He will not go to Roland Garros to lose in the second round, only if he thinks he can win the tournament. His dream end would be to win Roland Garros and retire, but I think that if he does he will want to continue. He does not retire,” he said.

Currently, the Spaniard is finalizing his travel plans for Paris as he is heading to attend the French Open tour. Given that it is Rafa’s last year on the French Open clay court, he is reportedly planning to train this Manacor Academy to perform extraordinarily on clay.

Nadal, who lost to Hubert Hurkacz at the Italian Open tour recently, spoke to the press about his Roland Garros ambitions. “Probably one is to say, Okay, I am not ready, I am not playing enough well. Then is the moment to take a decision in terms of not playing Roland Garros. Another is accept how I am today and work the proper way to try to be in a different way in two weeks, The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today. But if I have to say what’s my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I going to say be in Roland Garros and try my best,” he said.

Known to coach Rafa since he was three, there is hardly anyone who understands Rafa’s pace and mentality as well as his uncle Tony Nadal. He coached the Spanird till 2017 after Carlos Moya joined his team as a coach. When rumors about Nadal’s retirement brew, Tony Nadal shows how emotional he is about that through his response.

Tony Nadal thinks that fans “have to see how it goes” about Rafael Nadal’s retirement

Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem in the round of 32 at Brisbane International. It was Rafa’s debut match after a year and a half spent on break due to his injuries. Post-victory, this delighted Mallorcan said- “Very emotional day for me. Now back at the hotel I can share with you some pictures of today’s match. As you all know it wasn’t just another match… I am very happy to have had the chance to feel the competition.”

After this, fans became excited about Rafa’s performance. However, not able to ignore his retirement plans, so they went to this Mallorcan ATP star’s uncle. While Tonby Nadal didn’t reveal much, his statement expressed his emotions as he was preparing for Rafa’s final days on the court. It also showed that like Rafa’s fans, he is still rooting for the Spanish king of clay courts.  “I think Rafael is going to go day by day, depending on how things are going, depending on how competitive it is, the results… Although he has said that this may be his last year, then we have to see how it goes” he said.

Tony Nadal’s revelations about Rafael Nadal’s Rolland Garros participation scream the closeness of their relationship. As an uncle and coach, Tony Nadal’s opinions have brought fans a perfect guide to understanding their favorite tennis player’s next move.