Nadal, who has won the French Open 14 times and will celebrate his 38th birthday on June 3, faces world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round in Paris on Monday.

Nadal, the record 14-time champion at Roland Garros, is unseeded this year after injury saw his ranking plummet to 276.

He said if Nadal was in the French Open draw, he could not be ruled out, despite his injury problems and growing competition from a younger generation.

Defeat to seventh seed Hurkacz casts doubt over whether clay-court icon Nadal will play at the upcoming French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles.

"I have Roland Garros in just two weeks and a half... I need to prove myself if I am able to push my body to the limit, I need to push to feel myself ready for what's coming," Nadal told reporters.

The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion has recently returned to the circuit after a long absence due to injury.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz says he will form a dream team with his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics later this year "if everything goes well."

On the women's side, Iga Swiatek was made to sweat in her 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia, as she dropped her first set of the tournament and needed two and a half hours to reach a second consecutive Madrid semi-final.

"Now I'm enjoying. Let's see how I wake up tomorrow. Playing at home means everything to me, just try my best to keep dreaming."

Nadal's reward is a last-16 clash with the 30th-seeded Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday.

Rafa Nadal continued his return to form as he defeated Alex de Minaur 7-6(6), 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will be 38 in June and has made just a handful of appearances since January 2023 due mostly to a hip injury.

The win was Nadal's record-extending 57th victory in Madrid.

Nadal was also 16 when he played the event in the Spanish capital for the first time.

The 37-year-old, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, said that he is far from being in top form and that he is only playing against American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the Madrid Open on Thursday as a personal sacrifice.

The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back on court this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well but eventually crumbled against the hard-working world number 11 from Australia.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had not played a competitive match since January but eased past the 62nd-ranked Cobolli in 85 minutes to reach the second round.

Nadal's return a few weeks ahead of the French Open raises hopes the Spaniard will be able to compete in Paris, where he is a record 14-time winner.

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal said Monday returning to action at the Barcelona Open is a "gift" and he wants to enjoy every moment of what he expects to be the last year of his career.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner has played just once, in an exhibition match, since he felt a hip injury flare-up during a quarter-final defeat by Jordan Thompson in Brisbane on the eve of the Australian Open.