Much is expected of Rafael Nadal’s comeback to tennis. The Spanish superstar has been a notable absence from tennis events ever since he injured his psoas muscle during his ill-fated 2023 Australian Open encounter with Mackenzie McDonald.
The 22-time grand slam champion is no newbie to comebacks, having bounced back time and again during his two-decade-long career, but with his career coming to an imminent close, the Spaniard himself has actively spoken at length about his desire to play tennis for one last season and possibly break records in the process.
Nadal breaks silence on comeback
Rafael Nadal has been an active social media connoisseur, regularly posting updates on his training process, rehabilitation and even responses to people’s opinions and premature updates on his comeback. Now, with the 2023 season nearing its business end, Rafael Nadal is expected to make a high-profile entry to next season’s tournaments and the Spaniard has offered his take on the topic.
In June, Rafael Nadal posted a dooming picture of himself bandaged and stuck in the hospital, an image that still brings nightmares to his fans. However, he has since progressed steadily in his rehabilitation and has gone from working out in the gym to outdoor workouts and finally practicing tennis on the practice courts.
Now, Rafa has spoken to the media on his expected comeback, where he seemed down-to-earth and grateful at the opportunity of making a return.
“Until now, I didn’t know if I would ever play tennis again, and now I sincerely believe that I will play tennis again. Every time I am able to train a little more, the evolution seems to be good,” he said.
With 22 grand slam titles under his belt, Rafael Nadal is expected to mount a challenge for the season-opening Australian Open and is also a much-awaited figure in his favourite slam, the Roland Garros. While fellow ‘Big 3’ player Novak Djokovic is racing ahead in the grand slam race, Rafael Nadal spoke about the possibility of him challenging the Serb in the race for breaking records.
Rafael Nadal drops candid take on chasing Djokovic’s records
Rafael Nadal recently laid to rest the notion that Novak Djokovic’s record grand slam titles were surmountable in the near future by stating that he wasn’t focused on chasing Novak’s records.
“I won’t win more Majors than Djokovic, but I will be back to compete. I hope to tell you more in the coming weeks,” said Nadal, revealing some hard truths about his future.
While fans will be disappointed to know that he does not have a lot of tennis left in his tank to challenge the Serb’s stellar records, they will nevertheless be upbeat about Nadal’s revelation on his comeback.
With over three-fourths of a year gone since Nadal was seen competing in the tennis circuit, fans will be elated just by seeing their favourite player back on the court, and possibly whipping some top-spin loaded banana forehands down the line.
A record-strewn future isn’t on his mind, and that should elevate Novak’s mood for the near future, knowing that he has the records firmly in his grasp. However, fans will expect Rafa to mount a significant challenge to add to his tally as the second-most decorated grand slam champion ever.
What are your opinions on Rafael Nadal’s revelation on his comeback and records? Let us know in the comments section below.
