Tennis

Nadal rejects claycourt invite, keeps eyes on Roland Garros

He very kindly told me that Nadal was continuing his preparation at home in Manacor, that he was not ready and was in a race against time to be ready for the French Open.

Sentinel Digital Desk

MADRID: Rafael Nadal has turned down a wildcard offer for next week's Challenger tournament in Bordeaux as the Spaniard's participation in the French Open hangs in the balance, the claycourt event director said on Sunday. "I offered him (Nadal's agent Carlos Costa) one of the wildcards. He very kindly told me that Nadal was continuing his preparation at home in Manacor, that he was not ready and was in a race against time to be ready for the French Open," Jean-Baptiste Perlant told French sports daily L'Equipe.

Nadal skipped last week's Madrid Open and missed tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The French Open, which Nadal has won a record 14 times including last year, starts on May 28. Agencies

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