Rafael Nadal said he is happy to “suffer” as he chases an 11th French Open title.
The top seed is the overwhelming favourite to lift a 17th career major at Roland Garros after claiming his 11th titles on clay in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona this spring as well as an eighth trophy in Rome.
“In the end, sport is about trying to give the best of yourself,” said the 31-year-old.
“The sensations of matches of three or four hours, played at the limit and thinking about the next point, these are beautiful moments.
“It is to suffer but also to appreciate the moment you are living in. If you are suffering you know how to value it, how to enjoy it.”
With Roger Federer and Andy Murray not playing at the French Open, which starts on Sunday, Nadal is the short-odds favourite to win a tournament where his overall record stands at an astonishing 79 wins and just two losses.
His expected stranglehold has been further tightened by former champions Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka attempting to regroup after long-term injuries.
Djokovic, the champion in Paris in 2016, has seen his ranking slip to 22 after an elbow injury.
Wawrinka, also the runner-up to Nadal last year, has only this week returned after three months on the sidelines having undergone knee surgery.
In the women’s draw, third-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, who lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 2016, faces another former champion in Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in a compelling first-round clash.
Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia takes on Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova before a likely second-round meeting with Victoria Azarenka.
Serena Williams, who dropped down the rankings after her pregnancy and is therefore unseeded, could face another former World No. 1, Maria Sharapova, in the fourth round.
World No. 1 Simona Halep, last year’s runner-up, will take on Alison Riske.
Wildcard for the Williams
Serena and Venus Williams were handed a wild card into doubles event as the American sisters seek to add a third Roland Garros title to their triumphs in 1999 and 2010.
