Rafael Nadal’s injury return laid out by his uncle Toni ahead of Australian Open
Rafael Nadal set for 2024 farewell after pulling out of French Open
Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni believes that his nephew will make his long-awaited return from injury at the 2024 Australian Open at the beginning of the year. The Spanish tennis legend has been out of action since this year’s opening Grand Slam due to hip and psoas injuries, before confirming that next season could be his last.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley claimed that Nadal would be back in time for the tournament in January, though Nadal himself played down that prospect. He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he “appreciated the vote of confidence” but would only make his comeback when he is ready.
But Nadal’s uncle Toni is of the opinion that with the 22-time Major winning stepping up his rehabilitation, that return could well take place in Melbourne. “I believe that it will come at the Australian Open,” Toni Nadal told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“Obviously my nephew intends to be cautious, which is what he has to do. Every day he is getting a little better. It is true that it has been a very long injury, but hey, it is what it is.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive tennis news
JUST IN Kyrgios ‘crucial’ in filling Federer, Nadal and Murray gap as legend weighs in[INTERVIEW]
“It is a high-level sport; in the end it is almost obligatory to play with pain, unfortunately, because you push your body to the limit. Pushing it to the limit is what makes you have all these problems.”
Nadal was overtaken by Novak Djokovic this year in the all-time race for most men’s Grand Slam titles. He does have the opportunity to go ahead of his rival next year, but Toni explained that due to his drop in rankings and little momentum going into the tournament, competing for silverware again will be tough.
“He is aware that the situation is complicated,” Nadal added. “Let’s say he manages to get to Australia; it will not be easy to compete again with an added problem.
- Advert-free experience without interruptions.
- Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
- Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.
Don’t miss…
Ben Shelton names his favourite player with verdict on Federer v Nadal[INTERVIEW]
Novak Djokovic ‘stretches’ give him bemusing edge over Nadal and Alcaraz[REACTION]
Lionel Messi called Nadal win ‘lucky’ in private chat with Argentine tennis star[LATEST]
“He will not be seeded, so he could face a high-level player. When Rafa plays a Grand Slam, he is usually given an affordable opponent to give him momentum, allowing him to be a dangerous threat from the quarter-finals onwards.”
Nadal’s uncle even teased the prospect of his nephew playing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz for Spain at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. There is a chance that he could retire on the clay court in France and Toni believes that the pair would have a shot at victory.
“If Rafael is in good condition, then I think he would be a very good couple,” Toni continued. “I assume that Carlos is in good condition, so let’s see if there is a possibility of winning an Olympic gold in singles or doubles.”
Source: Read Full Article