Rafael Nadal attacks one last time after a year of suffering
The return of the king: After an injury break of almost a year, Rafael Nadal wants to give it one last go on the tour in the new year. Can the Spanish tennis legend attack the big titles again in the fall of his career? The former champion has two big goals.
Rafael Nadal has suffered a lot. The nasty pain in his hip flexor, the torment in rehab, the hard work on the training court. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. "At many moments, I thought there was no point in continuing," says Nadal - and yet he did.
Almost a year after his serious injury, the 22-time Grand Slam winner is finally looking forward to his comeback on the tennis tour. In Brisbane (December 31 to January 7), Nadal wants to serve under competitive conditions again. And then compete in the first Grand Slam of the year at the Australian Open - in the very place where his suffering began in January.
The Spaniard struggled in pain against the American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. His hip flexor let him down. Nadal doubled over, staggered across the court and lost in three sets. This was followed by an operation on his birthday and a break that lasted much longer than initially expected. And it still has an impact today.
"Not finishing in a press room"
"The pain will never go away," Nadal recently said on social media, and he will probably never catch up with Novak Djokovic, who has now replaced him as the record Grand Slam winner with 24 major titles. Which raises the question of why the 37-year-old, who has also suffered from severe foot problems in the past, is still doing all this to himself.
"I would like to end it differently, not in a press room," explained Nadal. He had fought "to keep this vision alive" and now it was "finally time". Time for the clay court king to return to the big stage. He has repeatedly appeared at the Rafael Nadal Academy in training matches recently - including with German number two Jan-Lennard Struff. But can it be a triumphant return?
Probably not at first. Nadal himself put the brakes on the euphoria as a precaution. "I expect nothing from myself," he said slightly cryptically and spoke of "uncharted territory" and a "difficult" start. The Australian hard courts should initially only serve as an assessment on the way to higher goals.
Nadal leaves the back door open
Nadal should be aiming for his top level again by early summer at the latest. The temptations of the new season are simply too great not to go for it again. At Nadal's absolute favorite tournament, the French Open, he wants to claim the historic title number 15 in June - before the tennis competitions of the Paris Olympics take place at the same venue in the Stade Roland Garros.
A second singles gold after Beijing 2008 beckons and - possibly alongside his designated successor Carlos Alcaraz (20) - a second double triumph after Rio 2016. And even if it's not enough for a major title, Nadal is dreaming of a significant farewell tour on the big courts of the tennis world. Unlike his injury-plagued former rival Roger Federer, who only managed a few highly emotional matches at the Laver Cup at the end of his career.
At the end of 2024, Nadal is likely to finally call it a day. The Spaniard believes this himself - but is keeping a back door open in case things go better than expected. "Why should I set myself a limit?" he asked recently. Rafael Nadal will not allow his career end to be forced upon him, especially not by his ageing body.
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Rafael Nadal, with his sights set on the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, is eager to compete in various events. His tennis goals include participating in the Tennis tournament and defending his title at the French Open before the Olympic games. Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, has had a tough year with injuries but is determined to regain his form and leave his career on a high note, perhaps even aiming for a doubles title alongside his designated successor Carlos Alcaraz, like they did in Rio 2016.
Source: www.ntv.de
