Rafael Nadal claimed he would be back in 2024, in time for the Australian Open. Amid his admission to considering retirement next year, fans are eagerly awaiting his long due comeback from a hip injury.
A multitude of surgeries and an excruciating recovery process aside, the Spaniard is working full-time to ensure that his recuperation from a torn psoas muscle goes smoothly, to ensure no further issues in the future. Absence in major events has left Rafael with much work to do in order to regain his past status as the best in the world.
Nadal shows off his recovering touch
Rafael Nadal was back on court for a practice session, as part of his recovery. Just a month prior, the 22-time grand slam champion blew up social media when he was witnessed swimming in order to regain fitness. Progress is being made on his regimen, as seen in the recent video where he is training diligently on a hard court.
Still displaying the trademark double-handed backhand slap and the banana forehand that has bamboozled many players with its rotating topspin, Rafael Nadal is seen knocking the ball around.
100 days are to go before the ATP tour’s majors begins at the Australian Open. In the broader perspective, that is not much time for a player to begin training. Yet, Rafael Nadal has been working in the past two months on his on-court skills, vehemently ensuring that practice makes perfect.
Fans will be gung-ho on seeing their 36-year-old Mallorcan hero back on court, and will hope that he surpasses expectations and springs up a surprise or two in his path to winning a major grand slam next year.
Fans fear Australian Open seeding chances
One downside of Nadal’s absence during 2023’s majors was that he fell down the ATP rankings. Starting the 2023 Australian open as world no.2 and no.1 seed, due to Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal, the Spaniard has witnessed a free fall down the table ever since he ruptured his hip.
Subsequent withdrawals from the rest of the year’s tournaments has left him down at 240 in the rankings. Given his caliber, one could very well assume he would rise up the ladder with some stellar performances. However, his current state leaves him in a tough situation that fans fear.
His ranking could mean he enters the Australian Open unseeded. Seeds are designated based on the ATP rankings, with around 40 seeds going to the top players. The rest are part of the main draw but face an uphill task due to the matches they play.
Seeded top players are assigned unseeded opponents in the early rounds of grand slams, which means Rafael Nadal could face the possibility of battling a top-10 or top-20 player in his first round. The toughness of the match could pose a problem early on in the tournament, with fans fearing an early exit.
Nevertheless, Nadal wouldn’t be one to get perturbed by situations out of his control, as he stays firmly focused on the task at hand – recover, repeat and return to the ATP tour.
Will Rafael Nadal stage an epic comeback next season, and have one of his greatest ever seasons, due to his remarkable recovery from injury? Let us know in the comments section below.
