Rafael Nadal Returns to the Court: The Next Steps in His Recovery

Jordi Pérez de Arenaza 04/18/2024 at 17:06 CEST

Nadal He returned to the slopes and that is already good news. The Open Barcelona It was his first contact after months of inactivity. In the two matches he played, you could see a Nadal who maintains his quality, but in which there was a lack of rhythm. His next test will be the Masters 1000 of the Mutua Madrid Open.

In front of him he had a world-class rival like Álex de Minaur. The Australian beat Nadal in a second set in which the Balearic Islands showed almost no resistance and paid for the long inactivity on the slopes. The Barcelona Open was presented to Nadal as the venue for his expected return, but also as a first contact for what is coming.

Despite the expectations generated at the Open Barcelona by the Barcelona parish, Nadal was aware that the Barcelona tournament was a test in his return. It was obvious that the enthusiasm generated in Barcelona was in the air, but the chances of Nadal going far in the ATP 500 were slim. The real objective was to prove himself on land and, above all, that the Balearic will get away from the inconveniences suffered during all this time.

And Nadal was playing a match again after more than a hundred days without playing an official match. The last time we saw Rafa on the court was in Brisbane, where he lost to Jordan Thompson.

Once the match ended, Nadal, despite the early elimination, He was satisfied with the fact that he could play again without discomfort: “On a personal level it has been very difficult for me to be able to return to a track after everything and I achieved it this week.” This was Nadal’s main objective, to compete again without any physical discomfort. And so it has been.

In this way, it is more than likely that Nadal has put an end to his love story with the Open Barcelona. Despite the bitter defeat, Rafa has said goodbye to Barcelona with 12 titles in his pocket and with a ovation from the Barcelona public that he will never be able to forget: “I have been lucky enough to write a beautiful story in this tournament and I leave with the peace of mind of having always given it my all. I am aware that everything has a beginning and an end and there is no need to make a drama,” he expressed at the end of the meeting.

Once his adventure in the Barcelona tournament is over, Nadal already has his next goal in mind. The Mutua Madrid Open will be the next step for his recovery. It is unknown what level Rafa will show, but the tournament is presented differently from the one in Barcelona.

Nadal could debut next April 26 and he has days left to train and continue finding himself on the track. This is what Rafa himself commented: “I have to measure according to how I feel, so I will play in Madrid according to this factor. If my body responds and I accumulate good training sessions, I will be able to take a step forward in Madrid.”

Roland Garros on the horizon

There is still more than a month left for the French Grand Slam, but everyone knows that their great objective is arrive in the best conditions to your fetish tournament. Nadal has Roland Garros marked on the calendar and the tournaments he has left to play, such as Madrid or Rome, will be the best possible training for the Balearic Islands.

Nadal does not deny it. He is sincere and knows that Roland Garros could be his ‘last dance’: “I leave convinced that I have taken a step forward. Today was not where I had to give everything and I have to give myself the option of being able to do that in a few weeks. I will try to take one more step in Madrid, then in Rome and if, in any tournament, it is worth going out to give everything and die, it is in Paris,” he acknowledged.

Talk about Nadal’s future It’s tossing a coin in the air. The unknown reigns in his head and every time he plays, both Rafa and his followers, They should enjoy it as if it were the last dance.

2024-04-18 15:06:11
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