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Why was he missing for so long?
When Rafael Nadal hastily called a press conference in May, there was already speculation that he would retire immediately. But the 22-time Grand Slam winner decided to temporarily and completely withdraw from the tennis tour. Why? After months of uncertainty, he wanted to at least give himself the chance to really attack again. An injury to his hip flexor and psoas muscle in his lumbar region had kept him out of action since the Australian Open. So Nadal pulled the ripcord. He underwent surgery, underwent rehab and underwent a new, clean training structure. Only at the beginning of December did he announce that he would participate in the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane (from Sunday). So almost a year after his last official match, which he played on January 18, 2023 in the second round of the Australian Open – and lost to the American Mackenzie McDonald in three sets (4:6, 4:6, 5: 7) .
Can he ever be the same again?
In 2022, Nadal stunned everyone when he returned from a long injury layoff and promptly won the Australian Open and French Open. This time the starting position after the point is different. The experts agree: the Spaniard will not have forgotten playing tennis. His uncle Toni Nadal (62) recently confirmed that the movements were back to “a good level” after initial difficulties. But the most important question about the big comeback is: will his body play along?
How competitive Nadal is will depend on how well he can recover from the stress of the match. The last full season he was able to play was 2019. His bag of injuries that have affected him in the short to long term throughout his career, ranging from abs to knee to hip, is heavy. Nadal himself said in Brisbane: “It’s just a victory for me to be here.” He doesn’t expect much from himself, thinking about a title is currently “impossible”. His coach Carlos Moya (47) also speaks to the ATP of “very slow development” in recent months and of “empty batteries” in an aging professional organization. Yet he trusts that his protégé will do everything: “It’s still Rafa Nadal. I witnessed unthinkable things, otherworldly things.”
Why does he even come back again?
Nadal’s reasoning couldn’t be clearer. He believes: “I don’t deserve to stop like this. I have invested too much in my career to announce my end at a press conference.” So he will do everything he can to perform with dignity on the field and “enjoy the tour” again. Nadal himself will also realize the dream of his fans have that he will go one step further as the record winner of the French Open at Roland Garros. But he knows very well that even medium-term thinking is impossible in his position. Because he also makes it clear: “I don’t see myself being able to stay for very long to play.”
What’s his plan?
The clay court king’s hope is to become increasingly competitive as the season progresses. Ultimately, however, his physical condition will determine how many tournaments he will play. What is now on paper is the start in Brisbane and the Australian Open (from January 14). Then the show match against Carlos Alcaraz (20) in Las Vegas on March 3 and the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona (from April 15). If he stays fit, the French Open (from May 26) and the Paris Olympics (from July 26) would be other big targets.
How do competitors react?
French veteran Richard Gasquet (37) spent a few days in the ‘Rafa Nadal Academy’ during pre-season training – and trained with the superstar. He told L’Équipe: “I have no doubt he will be competitive. Of course it will take time, but it will get there. I don’t know if it will be in Australia, in March or in April, but in the end he will win matches.” Grand Slam record holder Novak Djokovic (36) would not be surprised if Nadal, currently 672 in the world rankings, reaches a top level again He told “RMC Sport”: “He is not the man who just returns to the tennis circus to play at an intermediate level. He wants to win titles and be the best. That is why he is what he is: a legend of this sport. “
The Dane Holger Rune (20), who was recently trained by ex-Federer coach Severin Lüthi (47), has already completed training with Nadal in Brisbane. His conclusion on ‘Tennis TV’: ‘I thought he played incredibly – with enormous intensity. He also moved well. That was probably my toughest training in six months.”
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
