Rafael Nadal once again had to cancel the Australian Open due to injury after he again had serious problems with his hip. Even the planned participation in the ATP tournament in Doha will not work out. Nevertheless, the 37-year-old tennis superstar is working on his umpteenth return to the big stage. What still drives the 22-time Grand Slam winner despite all his injury worries?
Rafael Nadal should be back on the court in Qatar next week. The Mallorcan should play at the ATP tournament in Doha and try to make another comeback. Nothing will come of this yet, the next planned event: The Masters tournament in Indian Wells in March.
Nadal, who missed practically the entire 2023 season after his hip operation last year and fell back to number 646 in the world rankings, actually wants to know it again.
The clay court king, who has repeatedly returned from serious injuries in recent years, including to the wrist and foot, still dreams of further titles on the tour.
His uncle and long-time coach Toni Nadal, who is still considered a close confidant of the old master, explained what still drives Rafael Nadal in the 20th year of his professional career. “He doesn’t want to end his career with an injury. A great champion should say goodbye on the pitch. Rafa’s friend Roger Federer had the same motivation, unfortunately it didn’t work out for him,” the 62-year-old was quoted in “Sport Bild”. .
There is also a second reason: “Rafa loves tennis and competition more than anything. He wants to find out how good he can be again. And he feels that he can achieve great things again.”
Will Rafael Nadal continue playing until 2025?
What Toni Nadal ultimately means by “achieving great things” should be clear to every tennis fan: the left-hander has already won the French Open in Paris, the highlight of every clay court season in tennis, 14 times in his unique career. To triumph here one last time remains Nadal’s big dream, which drives him back to the training ground again and again.
“After injuries, Rafa was still stronger than before. He knows that, and that gives him a lot of self-confidence. The Australian Open wasn’t that important for him anyway. But I trust him to do anything at his favorite tournament, the French Open – even the victory,” said uncle Toni Nadal, who himself worked as the coach of the former world number one until 2017.
But even a possible triumph at Roland Garros this June would not necessarily mean the end of his career, as Toni Nadal explained about his nephew: “Then he would continue playing. Rafa only stops when he realizes that he can no longer win. It could also happen that he will still be playing in 2025.”
2024-02-15 08:02:00
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