Rafa Nadal Set to Return to Tennis in 2024: What to Expect

Nadal in one of his last matches, in the last Australian Open (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

There is less and less left for Rafa Nadal to be in the game again in tennis. After 11 months out, the longest of his career, due to an iliopsoas injury, the Spaniard, the second man with the most Grand Slams in history (22), is about to rejoin the men’s circuit. The expectation is huge in the last days of 2023, since it will be as soon as 2024 starts when his first tournament will arrive, which will help him enter the competition again.

Former Spanish tennis player Feliciano López is clear about his sporting wish for 2024: for Rafa Nadal to conquer Roland Garros. “As a sporting dream, seeing Rafa succeed again at Roland Garros would be incredible for me. I’ve been thinking about it for months now. It would be the culmination of his career. Then there are the Olympic Games after Roland Garros, but well, not for me. I don’t like to anticipate things either. Surely if he’s watching me he’ll be angry, but the news is that he’s competing again and that Rafa is back,” he said upon his arrival at the 18th Gala of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE).

Once he has enjoyed the first stage of Christmas with his family, Nadal will head to Australia, the scene of his return to the courts. Brisbane has been the competition chosen by the Spaniard to play again almost a year later. It is an ATP 250 that will serve as optimal preparation for the highlight of each January on Australian soil: the Australian Open, the first major of the course and whose record includes Rafa twice (2009 and 2022).

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Nadal has only been in the game in Brisbane on one occasion. It was in 2017. Curiously, once he had recovered from another physical problem (in that case, problems with his right knee that kept him in dry dock for two months). Then, he passed the first round against Alexandr Dolgopolov (double 6-3). Mischa Zverev, Alexander’s brother, also couldn’t beat him in the second round (double 6-1). The adventure ended in the quarterfinals, as he was eliminated against Milos Raonic (6-4, 3-6, 4-6).

Nadal in his last match (REUTERS/Loren Elliott)

Seven years later, the Manacor native will share the bill with more than notable players in Brisbane. This is the case of Holger Rune, Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray. Also from Ben Shelton, who remembered Nadal before a date in which who knows if they will not face each other: the match, today, is unprecedented in the sport of racket.

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At 21 years old, the American is one of the young promises to keep track of in tennis matters. Semifinalist and quarterfinalist in the last editions of the US Open and the Australian Open, respectively, the world number 17 does not hide the influence that Nadal has had on his game. He made it clear again in an interview for On-Running, the company that dresses him and in which Roger Federer is a shareholder.

“I try to be unique with my playing style and do things that other players don’t do. I took some things away from Nadal because he is also left-handed like me, but I try to work with my resources and be unique,” ​​says Shelton, in statements reported by Ubitennis. Furthermore, he came to recognize that tennis, at first, did not attract his attention: “What I liked was American football, but when I saw that my sister was traveling all over the country, she had academic advantages and lived experiences.” very interesting for being a tennis player at the university, I decided to try it too.”

His lifestyle is very calm, and he has no problem admitting it. “I don’t go out much, since crowded and noisy places overwhelm me. I am happy staying at home, with my family, or going out to dinner one day, but for example, I have never gone to a concert in my life,” she says honestly. “I’m trying to have a growth mindset. I’m competitive and I want to win, but I have to remind myself that I’m nowhere near where I want to be in some ways. I hope to have a long career ahead of me and time to perfect my style,” he adds.

Ben Shelton at the ATP 500 in Tokyo (REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou)

That Shelton has good words for Nadal is not new. “I love fighting on the court, giving everything until the end, and I am clear that I will never give up. In a way, I consider that this philosophy has permeated me for having followed Rafa so much during his career. He has always been a guy who couldn’t be blamed for anything because he gives his best effort. I’ve also always noticed the competitive fire he has, how he chooses when to show his emotions. He has always been an inspiration,” he explained at the last Laver Cup.

2023-12-25 12:11:00
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