Injured since the start of the year, Rafael Nadal announced a few months ago that his return to competition would not take place before 2024 for his probable last season on the circuit. Recently, the Spaniard took the floor to give his news and learn a little more about his objectives in the coming months. Even if a return to the high level is not planned for the moment, some are already starting to imagine future success in 2024.
Injured in the hip, Rafael Nadal had to observe a long period of convalescence which is not quite over. The 37-year-old Majorcan has slowly returned to training without putting in much intensity. He revealed that his pains were daily and that for the moment, he should not imagine him coming back. For Patrick Mouratoglouvery active on social networks to talk tennis, the man with 14 Roland-Garros will come back very strong and even shine!
Already a favorite for Roland-Garros
It is of course impossible to imagine making a prediction at the moment but Patrick Mouratoglou wants to believe in a return of Rafael Nadal at a high level. Despite injuries, the Mallorcan has always managed to come back in his career and we can indeed think that a last effort for a few months is possible. “I understand that Rafa doesn’t want to feel pressure and that he wants people to think that he will come back next year to say goodbye, but that’s not like him. He will play hard. He will have enough time to train. Historically, he is a player who needs to play a lot. The real question is how injury-free he will be in 2024. If he’s pain-free and free to play next year, there’s no reason to think that ‘he will not be dangerous/favorite for Roland‐Garros’ declares the former coach of Serena Williams.
Tennis: There is fire in the Tsitsipas house! https://t.co/U0nGcYBLCq pic.twitter.com/eNoCVULFiz
— le10sport (@le10sport) September 20, 2023
A return to win or nothing
Rafael Nadal will give more details during the month of November but we can already imagine that he will stop very quickly if he feels that he will not be able to properly defend his chances of winning the biggest titles. “He will want to see if he can win a Grand Slam or if he is far from it. If he is far from feeling capable of winning a Grand Slam, he will probably stop. I don’t think he’s playing just to be world number 20.” continues Mouratoglou. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine such a tennis legend fighting outside the top 10 in the year he turns 38.
A blank year, a great first
Even though he played at the very start of the season, Rafael Nadal will experience a white season. Although he was often hampered by injuries, he had never experienced such a long absence. But at this age, it will be very difficult to make a comeback like his 2017 season, where he returned immediately to the top after six months of absence in the company of Roger Federer.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.