Rafael Nadal’s hopes of making his mark in the clay court season appeared to be hanging by a thread when he pulled out of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters with a back problem, but he has given a surprisingly upbeat injury update that suggests he could be back in action sooner than expected.
Nadal has been off the tour since suffering a muscle injury in Brisbane in January and the 37-year-old revealed on social media that he is still not ready to return to action.
“These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise,” Nadal, who has won the title 11 times in Monte Carlo, wrote on his social media platforms as he withdrew from the tournament.
“Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me.
“And even if I am working hard and making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today.
“You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.
“The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better.
“Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!”
That announcement sparked speculation that Nadal may also be forced to pull out of the upcoming clay court events in his native Spain, with tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid fast approaching.
Yet the 22-time Grand Slam-winning legend has fuelled hopes that he may yet play in both of those tournaments, after posting this update on his social media page.
Hola desde Barcelona 👋🏻
Primer entreno… con la ilusión de estar aquí estos días previos al inicio del torneo.
Estoy aquí para ver qué tal… con las ganas de intentar jugar. Ya os iré contando.
Importante decir que no quiero confirmar que jugaré, ojalá que sí.
Ya veremos 🤞🏻 pic.twitter.com/N9cVDbO3N1
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 10, 2024
“Hello from Barcelona,” he wrote, next to a picture of him putting a new grip on his racket.
“First training session… with the hope of being here these days before the start of the tournament.
“I’m here to see how it goes… with the desire to try to play. I’ll tell you about it.
It’s important to say that I don’t want to confirm that I will play, I hope so. We’ll see.”
It was not a message that provided conclusive proof that Nadal was ready to return, but it does suggest his latest injury problem is not as serious as first feared.
While travelling the relatively short distance to Barcelona is not a sign that Nadal is fit, it is clear that he is still hopeful of playing a part in what might be his final ATP Tour events on Spanish soil.
The back problem that prevented him from playing in Monte Carlo was affecting his service motion and it is hard to believe that the issue has been resolved in the few days since he withdrew from this week’s Masters 1000 events.
Yet the prospect of playing in front of his Spanish fans one last time will be hugely tempting for a player who has confirmed he is likely to call time on his tennis career at some point in 2024.
Many will point out that Nadal has got to this stage of preparations to play in the Qatar Open, Indian Wells Masters and Monte Carlo tournament only to pull out at the last.
Now Nadal’s army of fans around the world will be hoping this positive injury update is not another false dawn.
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