Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has not played a single match on the ATP tour for almost three months. In the world rankings, he has now even dropped to fifth place behind the German Alexander Zverev, he has long since lost track of number one Novak Djokovic. Is the end of his career threatening the best clay court player in history?
The fact is that Nadal has been constantly set back from his injury problems over the past few weeks and months. His stubborn foot injury is still not completely healed. The fact that the 35-year-old will be at the last big highlight of the season, the ATP Finals in Turin from November 14th to 21st, seems almost impossible at the moment.
“It’s not the right time to talk about tennis,” said the 20-time Grand Slam winner himself in an interview with “Sport Bild”.
After all: Nadal has not lost the fighting spirit that made him one of the best racket cracks of all time, despite the numerous health setbacks in the recent past. “The sport has inspired me all my life and still does. My passion and my energy are still there,” promised the Mallorcan who is currently in his own tennis academy in Manacor for a comeback within the scope of his physical possibilities the tour toiled.
Uncle Toni sees Rafael Nadal “on the right track”
Despite the injury problem, Nadal does not want to think about the time after his active career, which has brought him more than 100 million euros in prize money alone. “I hope that I can play for a few more years,” he told the sports magazine. However, he does not yet know when the right time to return is.
Nadal had already skipped Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and the US Open this season, and he played his last match on August 6th. Nevertheless, the clay court king continues to pursue his big dream of becoming the most successful tennis player of all time by winning another Grand Slam tournament. He currently shares this title with the two other superstars of his generation, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
One of his closest confidants, Uncle Toni Nadal, is still convinced of his nephew’s successful return to the courts of the world: “Rafa trains a little more every day and is on the right track. He has come back successfully after injuries. […] His motivation is unbroken, “said Toni Nadal in” Sport Bild “.
The 60-year-old had accompanied Nadal most of his career as a coach and continues to work as a tennis teacher in the family’s own academy on Mallorca.
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