Nadal: "I'm taking it as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment of it"

"I'm taking it as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment," he said in a press room packed with journalists after completing his last training session at the RCT Barcelona-1899, before making his debut on Tuesday against Italian Flavio Colbolli (number 63 in the ATP).

He has been training in the Catalan capital since Wednesday. "It's been a very positive week of training. I've been training here with players who are at a great level and I've felt good. I feel ready to compete," he said.

Nadal, who has not played an official match for three and a half months, since he lost in the third round in Brisbane to Brit Jordan Thompson, recalled that Barcelona will be "only" his second tournament of the year.

The abdominal discomfort that prevented him from playing his serve normally seems to have subsided and, at 37, he takes it as "a gift" to return "to compete" in one of his favourite tournaments. "Not being in Monte Carlo hurt, but luckily things have improved this week and I feel comfortable enough to play tomorrow," said Nadal, who insisted that he has "the feeling" that this will be his last appearance at the Godó.

In any case, the thirteen-time winner of Roland Garros said he plans to "go all out" on Tuesday, as his goal is to "enjoy and be competitive" on the clay of the Catalan capital until the last day.

The resignation due to injury of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz leaves the tournament without the champion of its last two editions and frustrates a hypothetical semi-final with Nadal, but the Mallorcan played down the importance of this fact.

"I feel bad for him, because he can't play in an important tournament that he has won twice, and I wish him a quick and speedy recovery. But I'm not able to think about the semi-finals," he concluded.