Rafael Nadal has been the central figure in many debates in recent days. His great performance in the Madrid tournament and his emotional farewell have caused the word ‘retirement’ to be on everyone’s lips… and Ivan Ljubicic has decided to give his opinion on the matter.
Perhaps few figures are more respected in this regard than the guy who endured Roger Federer before, during and after hanging the racket. Ivan Ljubicic He spent the last months of the Basel player’s career at his side, watching how the hope of returning became smaller and smaller as the pain in his knee grew larger. The Croatian lives from a distance the last steps in the trajectory of Rafael Nadalsomeone he has faced both as a player and a coach, and dares to give predictions and give his opinion about his possible end, as well as his next big goals.
The next appointment for the manacorí will be in Roma, where he will try to take a step further after his great performance in Madrid. Above all, the objective will be to get the machinery ready for Roland Garros 2024. It is Nadal’s great dream, the reason for every training session and every recovery session, but at the same time a tournament in which he needs to be very fine in many aspects: resistance, physical strength, mentality and ability to move his opponents. . If Ivan is clear about one thing, it is that if Rafa goes to Paris it will be with a clear objective: to compete for the title.
“We have seen what Rafa is like for 20 years. We know his champion mentality. As happened to Federer with Wimbledon, Rafa will only play in Paris if he believes he can go to the end; He’s not going to go there to make an appearance. If he said that he is going to do that, it would mean that she is not in good physical condition. Rafa knows very well what she needs, we will see if she can find the right sensations in the coming weeks.”, said the Croatian in a statement to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Nadal himself pointed out after being eliminated in Madrid that his presence in Paris is not yet secure: he will decide after the Rome tournament and with the hope of being able to do something great in other events after Roland Garros, especially the Paris Olympic Games.
AND THE LAVER?
There are only two confirmed events on Rafa’s calendar beyond the second Grand Slam of the year: those Olympic Games… and the Making Cupwhich will be played this season in Berlin and that could mean the professional end of Nadal’s career. It is nothing more than a supposition, a kind of mental mechanism that we moved to after Roger Federer chose said event to put an end to his career… and no one better than Ljubicic, who experienced it first-hand, to comment on this scenario. “It is possible, but not probable. “That he has committed to playing for Laver is positive, it means that he is looking forward, but we know that he is not going to play ten more years.”said Ljubicic, who we will surely see in the stands at Roland Garros in his role as advisor to the French Tennis Federation.
2024-05-03 06:00:00
#Ljubicic #Nadal #retirement #Laver
