Madrid Masters tournament director Feliciano Lopez would like to see 22-time Major winner Rafael Nadal in the draw. However, Lopez is aware of Nadal’s hip injury and hopes to see him in action as soon as possible.
Feliciano is worried about his good friend, who has been struggling with injuries for over a year. Lopez backs his compatriot and Davis Cup teammate to return to action in the coming weeks and compete at his best at Roland Garros.
Nadal won his 14th Roland Garros crown last June, struggling with foot pain but enduring every effort to secure his 22nd major crown. The Spaniard reached the Wimbledon semi-final and retired after tearing a seven-millimetre abdominal tear.
Nadal has only made nine appearances at the end of the year and failed to make a fresh start in 2023. Rafa lost both United Cup matches and entered the Australian Open with no confidence nor rhythm.
To make matters worse, the Spaniard injured his left hip in the second round against Mackenzie McDonald. Mackenzie beat Rafa in straight sets, and this remains the last match for a great champion.
Nadal skipped Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona, hoping to return to Madrid and Rome and find the groove ahead of Roland Garros.
Feliciano Lopez talked about Rafael Nadal and his injury.
“I worry more as a friend.
About his tennis, let’s see if Rafa can arrive prepared at Roland Garros, that’s his main objective. But that worries me more on a personal level. A player who has been successful all his life is now going through this.
Hopefully he recovers soon and it will be great if he can compete in Madrid. People are waiting for him in Madrid; they want to see him play. Madridistas always give him a lot of love every time he plays, so I’m afraid this problem will last a bit longer.
It hurts me that he is going through this, just like it happened to Federer, who had to retire without being able to play, playing a half lame doubles match; even if it was a good reason, I don’t think it was what he had dreamed of after all he achieved.
I hope Rafa Nadal’s injury won’t be so bad, and we can see him on the pitch in a week or two. After having Rafa, our greatest player of all time, the rise of Carlos Alcaraz is a miracle.
Spanish sport couldn’t be more grateful. We’re talking about a teenager who won a Major and became world number one and I don’t know how many players can say that for themselves,” Feliciano Lopez said.
2023-04-26 15:00:00
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