PARIS — Through the years, Rafael Nadal grew accustomed to a couple of givens at the French Open: He would arrive as the defending champion, and Roger Federer would be somewhere in the draw, often awaiting a showdown in the final.
This time, neither is the case.
Federer withdrew a few days before Sunday’s start of the clay-court Grand Slam tournament, ending his record run of 65 consecutive major appearances.
“For the fans, for the tournament, for the world (of) tennis, in general, is … negative news, no?” Nadal said.
Nadal won the title at Roland Garros every year from 2005-08 and from 2010-14 — a record nine in all, beating Federer in four of those finals — but returns to town trying to earn back the trophy after relinquishing it in 2015.
He is seeded fourth.
“It’s a tournament that I know I can play well,” said Nadal, who lost in the quarterfinals to Novak Djokovic a year ago. “If I am playing well, I know I can do good things.”
Nadal, who owns 14 major championships in all, could face No. 1 Djokovic in about two weeks in the semifinals — on what would be the Spaniard’s 30th birthday.
Asked about that milestone, Nadal waxed philosophical.
“Time never stops,” he said. “That’s not a good thing, but at the same time, I am happy with my life. I enjoyed all these years on the tour, and I hope to keep enjoying the next couple of years.”
After dealing with health problems and a crisis of confidence last season, Nadal has been playing better on his favorite red clay of late.
He is 19-4 on the surface this season, including titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona.