The Spanish champion, after the last missed tournaments, is ready to compete again: announcement soon?
These are days of waiting for Rafael Nadal’s many fans, who await new news on his possible return.
There are many events at stake before the Roland Garros, in which the 22-time Slam champion could take part. After giving up on the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, Rafa flew to Barcelona, where he started training to be able to play the ATP 500 scheduled right after Monte Carlo.
In this sense, Rafa could finally soon announce his comeback in an official competition, more than three months after the Brisbane International, where he stopped in the quarter-finals also due to a new physical problem.
Rumors coming from Spain say that Nadal could announce his participation in the tournament in the next few hours, which would make all his fans and tennis lovers happy.
According to Cadena Ser’s sports program, the Majorcan went to Barcelona to complete his preparations for participation in the ATP 500 Conde de Godó 2024. A splendid news, with an important and special meaning: the physical problems, which are having been tormenting him for many months now, they gave him a break.
Thanks to the protected ranking, the Spaniard will be able to play directly in the main draw if he recovers from muscular problems despite his current ranking (he’s No.646 – ed.).
Rafa won the Conde de Godò 12 times: a record number of titles, second only to his Roland Garros record, a tournament where he triumphed 14 times.
“Unfortunately my body won’t let me. It’s been a difficult year and a half. The truth is that everything is becoming difficult, I’m trying every day, I have things to resolve and the reality is just that at the moment I can’t putting myself in a position to compete is hard, but honestly on a personal level everything is fine, on a professional level it’s difficult,” wrote Rafael Nadal a few days ago regarding his withdrawal from the first major event on clay, in Monte Carlo.
Regarding his upcoming commitments, the 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed: “I’m going day by day. I’m not ruling out anything, neither being in Barcelona next week, nor being in Madrid. I couldn’t be in Monte Carlo because I have a chronic abdominal problem, since I returned from Australia. I recovered quickly from the injury in Australia, then one day while training I started having abdominal discomfort. We’re trying very carefully and that’s the truth.”
Novak Djokovic praises Rafael Nadal
Many are waiting to see Nadal on the court again. Several tennis players have also spoken about this situation: one of them is the ATP no.1 Novak Djokovic, who has fought epic battles against Nadal in his career.
In the media day of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, Djokovic spent beautiful words for his Spanish rival.
“What happens with Rafa Nadal? This is the question of questions! Only he can answer. It is important for our sport to have Rafa on the court, and it is even more so this year, where he said it could be his last. It’s a shame to see him out since the start of the year.
I don’t know where he is with his body. But who if not he has the right to do what is good for him? He is a legend of our sport. As a tennis fan, I hope he can return to his favorite clay court at Roland Garros,” he told.
2024 should be Nadal’s last season who, before the Roland Garros, he declared, wants to definitively announce his future. However, it remains to be understood his physical condition and whether the Spanish tennis player will really be able to return to the court again.
Only a few days ago, however, Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle, explained the reasons and said he was optimistic for the continuation of his nephew’s season on clay, despite the cancellation of Monte Carlo.
“He has problems with his serve, he said, otherwise no problems in training. Rafa is very clear that he must listen to his body and know when the time is right or wrong to compete. With the Roland Garros so close, he added, either you give 100% or it’s better not to participate.
I don’t know what he will do with Barcelona and Madrid. When we see each other I ask him how it’s going, but I don’t ask him what his plans are.
I hope he can play. A few days ago I saw him and asked him how things were progressing. He told me that he wasn’t doing well and I told him the same thing as always: let’s not complain, it went very well for us because his career could have ended in 2011 or 2012,” said Toni Nadal.
About the participation in the Roland Garros and Paris Olympics, Toni said: “If he manages to recover and is well, I think he could win a medal in Paris. It’s difficult, but it cannot be ruled out that he is one of the favourites. At the Roland Garros when he participated there was a clear favorite. Now there are several and I trust that Rafael is within that group.”