Dec 31, 2023, 08:03 ETNadal in doubles EFE
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Rafael Nadal, who reappears in Brisbane almost a year after his last match, declared that “there is a high percentage” that this will be the last time he plays in Australia if he decides to put an end to his sporting career at the end of 2024.
In the doubles box, accompanied by his friend, former teammate and current coach Marc Lopez, 41, fell to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. Warmly received by those present on the Pat Rafter Arena court at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Nadal and López, Olympic champions in Rio 2016, lost 6-4 and 6-4.
In singles, Rafael Nadal’s return to competition almost a year after his last match, at the 2023 Australian Open, where he suffered an injury to the psoas in his left leg, will have the Austrian Dominic Thiem as an opponent, in the first round of the Brisbane tournament.
“The problem with saying it’s going to be my last season is that I can’t predict one hundred percent what’s going to happen in the future. That’s why I say probably. It’s obvious that there is a high percentage that this is going to be my last.” playing here in Australia. But if I’m here next year, don’t tell me: ‘You said (this is going to be) your last season,’ because I didn’t say it,” said Nadal, at a press conference at the Brisbane International.
Nadal admitted that he “went through a lot to get back on a tennis court,” so he tried to avoid thinking about retirement just yet.
“I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the last twenty years. I don’t know if my body will allow me to be competitive. I mean, not in the sense to win the most important events, but in the sense that it makes me happy, to feel competitive to go out on the track and feel that I can compete against anyone,” he commented.
Many tennis players, including the Danish Holger Rune and the British Andy Murray, have stated in recent days that they saw Rada Nadal very well at the Queensland Tennis Center this week.
“If you ask my teammates how I feel, they won’t come here and say, ‘Rafa is playing like a disaster.’ I feel like what they said doesn’t have much value because, of course, if you ask me how they’re playing, I’ll say they’re playing very well.” well too. I will not speak negative things about my teammates,” he said. After almost a year away from the court due to a hip injury, Nadal feels optimistic about his return.
“In a realistic world, I’m happy with the way I’m training. Of course I don’t have the expectations that I used to have in the past, especially at the beginning, because it’s been a year and an operation. It’s not a lot of time practicing at a level.” decent. For me, it’s a little unpredictable how things are going to be,” he said.
“Competing is different from training but in terms of training with the guys here I am quite happy because I am able to feel competitive against the players I have played with. That is a lot for me, because a month ago I didn’t know if I would have the opportunity to come here or to feel comfortable in training,” he noted. “I feel prepared to compete. Then, what might happen in the competition, I can’t know. I don’t know.”
2023-12-31 13:03:00
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