My love for game keeps motivation high, says Nadal

RAFAEL NADAL insists he remains as motivated as ever to add another French Open crown to the 10 he already owns.

The world number one goes in search of Roland Garros title number 11 against Dominic Thiem of Austria today.

His semi-final win over Juan Martin del Potro meant Nadal equalled great rival Roger Federer in reaching 11 finals at a single grand slam, the Swiss having won eight Wimbledon titles and been runnerup three times.

Nadal has won an incredible 85 of his 87 matches in Paris and even now, aged 32 but with his injury problems seemingly behind him, the Spaniard is showing no signs of letting up.

‘For me, the motivation to play here is always high, as high as possible,’ he said.

‘But for me, at every tournament I believe that there are chances, limited chances in your career. So when I had the chances, I just tried to convert.

‘I lost a lot of opportunities with injuries and I know the years are going quick. So there are not 10 more chances to keep playing here.

‘I love the sport. But the only way to keep doing that and keep going on court every morning with the motivation to improve something, because you feel the game, no? You feel the sport and you appreciate it.’