French Open: Rafael Nadal bids for 14th Roland Garros title against Casper Ruud
That result meant he became the second oldest men's singles finalist in French Open history, behind American Bill Tilden, 37 when runner-up in 1930.
"I think in the academy we were able to help him a little bit during this period of time but, more than anything, I like to see good people achieving their dreams. Victory on Sunday would take Nadal a second title clear of 20-time major winners Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the race to finish on top among the 'big three'.
"Physically, I'm OK. Normally my problem is not the physical performance," said Nadal, who suffers from the degenerative foot condition Mueller-Weiss Syndrome. "That means a lot to me. All the sacrifices and all the things that I need to go through to try to keep playing really make sense when you enjoy moments like I'm enjoying in this tournament."
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