Rafa Nadal is back. This Wednesday, the Balearic tennis player posted a video on his social networks in which he could be seen training with some intensity on the courts of his Academy, in Manacor. One more step in the recovery of the 22-time Grand Slam winner, who was not seen exercising since he announced in mid-May that he would not play for the remainder of the season.
Nadal has not competed at the highest level since January, when in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open he suffered an injury to the iliopsoas of his left leg against the American, Mackenzie McDonald. Rafa underwent two hip interventions in June and a few days later he announced that he would not play Roland Garros: “You can imagine how difficult it is for me. It is not a decision that I make, but rather my body makes it,” explained the Manacorí in the press conference that he offered in May to the media at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
From there, Nadal met with the doctor who performed the operation, Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, and both estimated a recovery period of five months. Swimming, cycling and gym exercises to avoid straining the injured area occupied the former world number one's daily life. Sometimes, he would pick up the racket, although not with too much energy: “I can only hit with maximum caution, without moving, without the intensity to which I am accustomed. I have to contain myself all the time,” he acknowledged in an interview for Movistar.
Rafa Nadal is currently ranked number 240 in the ATP ranking: a drawback that may entail facing top-level rivals in the first rounds of tournaments, as he is not seeded. In addition, the Balearic player is expected to finish the season lower than 500th place, since he will lose 10 points from the Paris Masters 1000 and another 200 from the ATP Finals in Turin.
However, the 14-time Roland Garros winner will be able to count on the possibility of using the protected ranking and invitations from the organizations of the tournaments he wants to play in to try to resume his activity on the courts as a professional. Meanwhile, Nadal is not even thinking about winning Roland Garros, Australia or appearing at the Paris Olympic Games next year; yes in "playing again" and "being competitive."
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do in 2024, because because of the way I am, I can't be clear. My way of approaching the year changes depending on the objectives. I don't even have the need to respond to myself. My hope is in two months to know how and where I am," Rafa insisted a few weeks ago in Movistar about the objectives he has in the medium-long term.
