One of the most interesting topics circulating in the tennis world is when 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal will make a comeback from his psoas muscle injury. The Spaniard tore the abdominal muscle in this year’s Australian Open and hasn’t seen the light of day from his recovery process yet.
Several fans took to social media to view and share updates on Nadal’s progress and speculate when he would return. To many people’s relief, a major grand slam’s director officially announced his return to the tournament next year. However, Nadal was quick to reply and diminished wishful hopes by offering a realistic response.
Australian Open buzz meets Nadal’s reality check
The world of tennis was abuzz with excitement when the Australian Open’s director, Craig Tiley, announced that Rafael Nadal was set to make a comeback in next year’s edition.
“We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back,” Tiley had said on Nine Network’s ‘The Today Show’.
The thought running through fans’ minds was whether Rafa had contacted Tiley and why he hadn’t given a statement of his own. That problem was solved in a jiffy as Rafael Nadal took to Twitter to offer a cheeky yet insightful response.
Saying he was appreciative of the vote of confidence from Tiley, Nadal added a wink emoji to the post. That small inclusion alone was enough to clarify Nadal’s stance on his return – he was uncertain himself.
To make matters more concrete, Nadal’s PR issued a statement in which it was pretty clear that the Spaniard was not certain of a comeback in Melbourne next year. Nadal further clarified his stance in an interview with EFE.
“It was a bit daring. Saying that I am going to be at the Australian Open seems very complicated to say today,” Nadal said.
“In fact, I don’t know and I’m working to try to recover. Therefore, my way of understanding my moment is that I do not need dates.”
Nadal working hard to return for 2024 Australian Open
While Tiley’s comments were shown in a new light of uncertainty by Nadal’s official response, the Spaniard still didn’t refute his presence in 2024’s first grand slam.
His clarification stated that he was working incessantly on his recovery process and that a comeback was certain; it was when that needed time to be addressed. The 36-year-old has progressed significantly over the past few months in his recuperation process. From spending time sharing images of himself bandaged in the hospital bed, Nadal is now taking to social media to share images of training in the gym and practice courts.
He also appears in a lighter mood, such as when he shared posts on his son’s( also called Rafael ) first birthday on X. The air of positivity could be a sign that the Spaniard is nearing the end of his hiatus and fans will be excited at the prospect of witnessing him clash with Novak Djokovic, the last remaining member of the Big 3.
With Nadal dropping a bombshell hint that fans would see the last of him in 2024, his eager supporters will yearn for him to end his career with another grand slam victory, preferably at his favourite Roland Garros.
What are your opinions on Nadal’s comeback? Does the Spaniard have the firepower to win another grand slam? Let us know in the comments section below.
