"At his age you're not going to recover as well as before so may there is a chance, I'm not sure, I'm saying this because I have a feeling, that maybe he is going to drop one tournament to be ready for the French Open"
Monday 23 April 2018 17:52, UK
Henri Leconte says he would not be surprised to see Rafael Nadal drop a tournament as he prepares to secure a record 11th French Open title.
The world No 1 showed no signs of rustiness in Monte Carlo as he raced through his first ATP tournament since January without coming close to dropping a set.
Nadal will now turn his attention to land an 11th title in Barcelona before he aims to win his sixth Mutua Madrid Open and then an eighth Rome Masters crown where he lost in the quarter-finals to Dominic Thiem last year.
The clay-court campaign then culminates at the French Open where the Spaniard will be also be seeking an 11th title.
Victory at the weekend kept Nadal ahead of Roger Federer at the top of the world rankings and also secured a record 31st Masters title, pulling him out of a tie with Novak Djokovic.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion may appear to be untouchable, but French tennis legend Leconte says the 31-year-old is not getting any younger and would not be surprised to see him miss one of the tournaments in the lead-up to Roland Garros in order to keep himself fresh and hungry when he heads to Paris at the end of May.
"At his age you're not going to recover as well as before so may there is a chance, I'm not sure, I'm saying this because I have a feeling, that maybe he is going to drop one tournament to be ready for the French Open," Leconte told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes it's good to play well at the right moment, and he's playing well now, but it maybe that he drops one so that he is ready for the French - you never know."
You have to be so well prepared mentally. It's not just physically, it's mentally.
Nadal, who beat Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 in Sunday's final, is scheduled to meet the Japanese star in the second round of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
"Mentality is the main issue in tennis at the moment," added former French Open finalist, Leconte. "You can still have the capability and tenacity to be at the top, but mentally it's just to realise and listen 'if I want to beat Rafael Nadal, or be involved to have a fight against him' you have to be so well prepared mentally. It's not just physically, it's mentally."
Coverage of the ATP Barcelona Open will be shown on Sky Sports Arena throughout this week as Rafael Nadal looks to land an 11th title in Catalonia.
Keep up to date with the latest on www.skysports.com/tennis with news, previews, live blogs, reports and expert analysis. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation.
Never miss the big kick off or have to deal with interrupted games or low quality streams with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass. You'll get exclusive coverage of the Premier League, Sky Bet EFL, EFL Cup and loads more starting from just £7.99. No contract.
