Rafael Nadal’s comeback to the tennis court remains a concern. Tennis fans had great hopes for 2023 after Nadal won the Australian Open and French Open in 2022, as well as reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. They believed it may be one of Nadal’s best years since turning 30. The reality, however, has been quite different. This season, the Spaniard has only appeared in four games. He lost two games in the inaugural United Cup, won his first opening game, and then exited the Australian Open in the second round.
Furthermore, this has led the ex-Djokovic’s coach and legendary tennis player Boris Becker to predict a long road back to full fitness and a return to the tennis court for Rafael Nadal.
Boris Becker weighs on Rafael Nadal’s comeback
Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker believes that, even though Rafael Nadal faces a long road to recovery, he must compete in the Australian Open to have a real chance of winning the French Open next year.
The 37-year-old missed three Grand Slam tournaments this year and withdrew from the Australian Open due to a hip flexor injury. Rafael Nadal is currently ranked below 200 in the world, his worst standing in nearly 20 years. Nevertheless, the Spanish star has revealed that he is training hard for a comeback at the 2024 Australian Open.
“Nadal is a role model for everyone. Millions of fans around the world want to see him back on the tennis court and not in the press conference, where he declares that he may not be able to play again,” Becker said on Eurosport Germany’s podcast Das Gelbe vom Ball.
“I also believe that he would never come back if he doesn’t see a chance for himself. So, he’s not coming back to play the first or second round, but to win tournaments. His ultimate goal will always be Paris, will possibly be the [2024] Olympics in Paris, which will be played on clay at Roland Garros. But for that he needs the legendary match practice, and he can only get that at tournaments.
“So it’s hard to get started. He’ll get a bit of a kicking at first, but then we’ll go into February – if he stays healthy – and March and April, when it’s played on clay. Then he’ll have had his ten, 15 matches – and I would never bet against Rafael Nadal on clay.”
It is still unclear when Rafael Nadal will make his comeback, but there are hopes that he will return in January for the first Grand Slam event in Australia. The Spanish star has missed a total of four and a half years due to injury since turning pro in 2001 at just 15 years old.
Update on Nadal’s return to tennis
Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni Nadal gave an update on the twenty-two-time Grand Slam winner in a recent interview with El desmarque. Cuatro.
“Rafa is fine, recovering. If everything goes well, he wants to return to the courts for the 2024 Australian Open,” Toni said. Earlier last month Nadal gave a fitness update, posting a photo of him swimming in Mallorca with the caption: “Working.” This month, he added: “I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practicing every day and working hard to come back asap.”
Rafael Nadal’s recent announcement suggests that tennis’s golden age may be over. Nadal’s decision to retire next year and rest his body is an emotional moment in his remarkable career. The tennis icon wants to enjoy his final year on the professional tour and emphasizes the significance of enjoying every minute. Fans and admirers can only look forward to seeing the final performance of a fantastic athlete who has inspired generations with his unwavering enthusiasm and persistence.
