Less than a year after Roger Federer’s farewell, the tennis world fears that another of its legends will in turn hang up the rackets. Has Rafael Nadal reached the end of the road? With a still delicate state of health and a hip injury that he dragged on for three months and his elimination in the second round of the Australian Open against Mackenzie McDonald, the 36-year-old had to give up many deadlines in 2023. Even on his favorite surface, clay, the Mallorcan has withdrawn from Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid, three tournaments he has often dominated head and shoulders.
One month before the start of Roland-Garros, the questions are there for the man who has triumphed 14 times at Porte d’Auteuil. Last year, he had already gone to the end of his efforts with infiltrations in the left foot, to relieve the pain due to the Müller-Weiss syndrome from which he suffers. His trainer Carlos Moya did not hide his skepticism about the situation his protege is going through.
“Times are tough because Rafael Nadal is a competitive beast and it’s his favorite time of year. For him, saying no to tournaments like Madrid, Monte?Carlo or Barcelona is painful. But the objective remains Roland?Garros. It is clear that the preparation will not be ideal. But it’s Rafael Nadal, we can always expect the best. »
???? @RafaelNadal has had to sit out some of his favourite tournaments in his quest to be fit for @rolandgarros, his coach Carlos Moya revealed pic.twitter.com/aN8EGthToR
Lacking rhythm and competition, the Spaniard, who is aiming for a 22nd victory in a major tournament, wants to tap into his reserves to overtake Novak Djokovic, who caught up with him with his recent success in Australia. According to Toni Nadal, uncle and former coach of the Majorcan, it is difficult to imagine a Roland-Garros without its great champion this year. “Obviously he won’t arrive with very good preparation,” Toni Nadal told TVE. We must not hide our face […] But I think Rafael knows how to get back into shape fairly quickly. If you are lucky enough to have a fairly accessible draw in the first rounds, after… Rafael, in the second week, he is still one of the favorites. »
While waiting to return to competition, with a small hope of resuming in Rome the second week of May, the soon-to-be 37-year-old is fine-tuning his preparation at home at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Difficult to get a precise idea of ??his physical condition with the videos shared on social networks, but Nadal has worked hard to be ready during the Paris fortnight.
At the twilight of his career, the Spaniard has already mentioned his ambitions to conclude in style, with the desire to be competitive until the end. “I’ve done a lot of good things in my life, and not just in my tennis career; keep the passion, keep the love of the game and the fighting spirit every day, in every training. So, yes, I’m proud of that”, he declared during the last Paris Rolex Masters 1000. We still remember his words last year during his umpteenth triumph in Paris, with great uncertainty about its short-term future. Despite an always conquering state of mind, Rafael Nadal knows that his body has become a burden.
With the succession already well present of Carlos Alcaraz, who will be one of the favorites of Roland-Garros this year with Novak Djokovic, Spanish tennis can in any case be serene on this transmission. But with Nadal like so many other sports legends, the farewells inevitably draw closer, with its share of memories and emotions. To see if this last dance will take place before our eyes this year.
