Rafael Nadal is fast-tracking his recovery process as he looks to stage a comeback next season. The Spaniard endured a horror hip injury in last year’s Australian Open match against Mackenzie McDonald and subsequently dropped out of the rest of the season’s major tournaments. As a result, he exited the Top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time since 2005. This ended the longest Top-10 streak in tennis history.
The 22-time grand slam champion also exited the Top 100 for the first time since 2003. Former foes, competitors and fans have eagerly awaited his return to the tennis court amid talks of retirement. The Spaniard is working hard to ensure he returns to end his career on a high.
Nadal’s commitment to fitness soars as Australian Open nears
Rafael Nadal shared photos of him training in a swimming pool ahead of a potential comeback at the Australian Open. “Working,” Nadal captioned his Instagram post.
His sister, Maribel, also took notice and reposted the images as part of her Instagram story, captioning them with emoticons that showcased her joy at seeing Nadal’s rebound from injury.
Expectations were high for Rafael Nadal to make a comeback at this year’s Davis Cup, which would have probably seen him competing against his rival, Novak Djokovic. Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle and ex-coach, quashed those hopes with his comments on his nephew’s progress. However, he mentioned that Nadal was indeed looking to return to the tennis court in time to push for his third Australian Open title.
“Rafa is well and is recovering. If all goes well, his goal is to return to the field at the next Australian Open. We will have to be very careful about his training pace and understand his condition.” he said.
Nadal has slowly been building up his fitness levels over the past few months. In August, he was seen running on a treadmill in the gym as part of his recovery process. Swimming, being an outdoor activity amid chilly temperatures, is a sign of the Spaniard’s successful recuperation and possible comeback to the delight of tennis fans worldwide.
Rafael Nadal facing a five-month absence from due to surgery
Rafael Nadal worked hard on his fitness levels to stage a comeback at the French Open, but when his attempts failed, he decided to surgically operate on his psoas muscle.
In a series of tweets, posted on June 3rd, which is his birthday, Rafael Nadal announced that his hip surgery had successfully transpired.
“Hello everyone. As you know last night I had surgery. Everything went well and the arthroscopy was on the left psoas tendon that has kept me out of competition since January.
“An old injury to the labrum of my left hip was also regularized, which will surely help the better evolution of the tendon. I want to thank doctors Marc Philippon, Jaume Vilaró and Angel Ruiz-Cotorro for their work. I will start progressive functional rehabilitation immediately and the normal recovery process they tell me is 5 months, if all goes well.
“Once again thank you for all the support you have shown me and that you show me every day. Today also on my birthday. Not in the desired or dreamed place, although THANK YOU anyway”, Nadal wrote.
“The surgery was positive,” said Nadal’s spokesman of the procedure which was carried out in Barcelona. “The normal recovery process is estimated at five months.”
Nadal has announced his departure from the tennis game in 2024, but many wish to see the Spaniard continue playing for as long as he is hale and healthy.
If Rafael Nadal does recover in time to compete at the Australian Open, it would sent fans into a frenzy. The Spaniard will look to play quality tennis and win titles, especially at his beloved Roland Garros clay courts. How much are you looking forward to his comeback? Let us know in the comments section below.
