Nadal wishes for new foot but stands a match away from 14th French Open

As Rafael Nadal reckoned with standing a match from a French Open title for the 14th time, he was asked what initially seemed like an amusing question. The query was simple: whether he would sign up for a magical new foot if it meant losing the final.

“I would prefer to lose the final without a doubt,” Nadal said soberly after his semi-final against Alexander Zverev. “My thoughts haven’t changed; in the end a new foot would allow me to be more happy in my day-to-day life. Winning is lovely and it fills you with adrenaline for a short moment but life goes on. Life is much more important than whatever title.” Nadal then explained that he would like to enjoy different activities after his career, which is currently in doubt. His happiness, he says, comes first.

Nadal has made his way to the final in far from ideal circumstances. It was already an unexpected challenge after he fractured his rib in Indian Wells, his final tournament before the clay season, forcing him to play catch up. Since the Italian Open his chronic foot ailment has been the focal point of his consternation. Those various obstacles have been reflected in his form.

Yet in every important moment during the past fortnight, Nadal has elevated his level without fail. In his fourth-round match against Felix Auger Aliassime he did not look like himself as they went to a tense fifth set. But when he truly needed to perform deep in that deciding set, he raised his game to win.

In his quarter-final against Novak Djokovic, the stakes were so high that every second of the match was important. No matter: he entered the contest on fire, startling Djokovic and then eventually saving set points on his opponent’s serve in the fourth set. “In a way, it makes it simpler