Rafael Nadal‘s injury nightmare could be set to come to an end, with the Spaniard planning to begin preparations for the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from this week’s Monte-Carlo Masters due to an injury. But that did not stop Nadal from practicing in his pair of newly-minted shoes to try and be sharp for when he is fully fit again.
Nadal had said he was not giving up on appearing in Barcelona and Madrid. Many did not hold out much hope, since he has tried so many times to regain fitness in the last 12 months before having another setback.
However, it seems like some positive news has finally emerged, with SER Deportivos reporting that there is a real and genuine possibility of Nadal returning to the ATP Tour next week.
The Barcelona Open begins next week on April 15th. It is a tournament that Nadal has won an incredible 12 times. Roland-Garros is the only venue that Nadal has dominated at more during his illustrious career.
Traveling to Barcelona on Wednesday gives Nadal a pretty good amount of time to assess his chances of being fully ready for the tournament. He will have up to five days to practice and prepare before the tournament starts.
Of course, Nadal will still be very cautious and careful. Mats Wilander spoke about Nadal wanting to avoid a career-ending injury, with the seven-time Grand Slam champion thinking this is the biggest reason for his recent withdrawals from tournaments.
That is why it is important for fans to not get carried away and remain cautiously optimistic about this news. But is still a positive update that will give his millions of fans hope that a recovery is close.
It is crucial to have as many top players fit as possible, especially after the news of Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Monte-Carlo Masters.