We haven’t seen him scream or hit the ball on a court for almost a year. It was January 18, 2023 during his defeat in the 2nd round of the Australian Tennis Open against the American Mackenzie McDonald. Since then Rafael Nadal has undergone two hip operations and many feared that he would end his career. Finally, it was with a big smile that he arrived in Australia this week for his comeback.
His return for the Brisbane tournament, which begins on Sunday, is therefore eagerly awaited. Especially since he could play his last season. A few days before this probable “Last Dance”, the 37-year-old Spaniard declared on Friday that he was “feeling good” during a promotional event in Australia.
“I’m not going to complain, I feel much better than I could have hoped for a month ago, but in my opinion, it is impossible to think about winning any tournaments today,” assures- he.
The holder of 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 at Roland-Garros (record), does not expect much. “I just hope to be able to go on the court, feel competitive and give the best of myself,” he emphasizes. Nothing is impossible, but for me, just being here is a victory.”
Ahead of the Australian Open (January 15-28), Nadal has spent time at his academy in Kuwait, seeking temperatures and conditions similar to those he will face for the first Grand Tour tournament. Slam of the season. His level of training, however, was limited.
“It’s not like I’ve been training at a high intensity for the last six months. I have only been training with very good intensity during the last month,” he explained. Twice winner of the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2022, Rafael Nadal let his Serbian rival Novak Djokovic take the lead in the race for the record major titles (24). The Spaniard cannot “have very long-term goals” at this stage of his career, he stressed. “I don’t see myself playing for a very long time,” he concluded.
