Rafael Nadal He is ready for the dance. Almost three months after playing his last game on January 5 at the Brisbane tournament, this Tuesday he will finally jump onto the center court that bears his name. “He himself was in charge of announcing it.” I’m happy to be here. Tomorrow I will be on the court,” he announced after sitting in a crowded press room at the Reial Club Tennis Barcelona.
With a serious but at the same time calm face, the 12-time Barcelona Open champion Banc Sabadell admitted to having the feeling that it may be his last participation in Barcelona. “I take it as my last year, I have the feeling that it will be my last date here and I want to enjoy it. I’m happy to be here. It’s a gift. Although I don’t take it as a tribute. The sensations are those. I am ready enough to play, although without thinking about how I get there,” she explained.
Nadal valued his excitement about “jumping onto the court” again, but acknowledged that he made the decision at the last moment, after a very positive week in Barcelona. “At the moment I am, just in preparation, but without giving up being competitive,” he insisted.
Two very difficult years
The former number 1 highlighted how he is experiencing the end of his career. “I come from two difficult years, from a major hip injury. Tomorrow will be the second tournament I play this season.” And he admitted to having had “many bad days on a physical level, although the good days continue to compensate me. That’s why I maintain my hope.”
Nadal He is the first to accept his situation. “Honestly, it is what it is. It is part of the life of an athlete. “Everything has a beginning and an end.” He avoided, however, talking about his latest physical discomfort: “I mentioned it in Seville (during the Copa del Rey soccer final) because my uncle had said so. But “I get tired of telling about my physical hardships”.
He also did not want to delve into the last minute absence of Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament. “I feel bad that he is not here, for him and for the tournament, and that he is injured. I hope he recovers well and quickly.” Although if the Murcian had been able to compete in Barcelona, Nadal said he would not think about his possible duel in the semifinals. “I’m not capable of thinking about the semifinals. I’m going day by day. As much as it hurts, it is what it is.”
And he denied being worried about getting injured again. “Afraid? What else could happen to me?” Nadal asked himself. “I will continue until it is worth it. “There is no deadline.”
Nadal, who was training before the press conference for an hour and a half with the Bolivian tennis player Hugo Delli (178th in the world), appeared “ready to compete.” “I want to enjoy the moment. And being at home.”
2024-04-15 13:27:00
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