The Return of Rafa Nadal: A Highly Anticipated Comeback
The return of Rafa Nadal to the tennis circuit is the talk of the town as the new season approaches. The Balearic player, a winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, has been absent from the game since January 18, when he suffered a defeat against the American Mackenzie McDonald in the Australian Open. Now, after more than 340 days, Nadal is set to make his comeback at the Brisbane tournament.
The Big Unknown: Nadal’s State of Play
One of the biggest questions surrounding Nadal’s return is the state of his game after almost a year without competing. However, the initial impressions from his training sessions have been positive. Former player Ivan Ljubicic, who received a message from Nadal’s sparring partner Arthur Flis, confirmed that Nadal is playing at a very high level. The expectations for his comeback remain high.
Nadal’s Determination and Competitiveness
Despite the long absence from the game, Nadal’s competitiveness is unquestionable. Even at the age of 38, he continues to inspire awe among his rivals and admirers. Tennis legend Boris Becker, for instance, has stated that he would never bet against Nadal on a tennis court. Nadal’s objectives for this season are focused on Roland Garros and the Olympic Games, both on clay.
Rivals’ Unease: Nadal’s Return
Not all players are calm about Nadal’s return. Many of his rivals are well aware of his capabilities and express their unease about facing him on the court. Andrey Rublev, a Russian tennis player, admits that while he is happy to see Nadal back, he feels more freedom when competing without him.
Assessing Nadal’s State: Arthur Flis as a Sparring Partner
For his training in Kuwait, Nadal chose Arthur Flis as his sparring partner. Flis, being younger and in good form, provides a good measure of Nadal’s current state. In their initial practice sets, Nadal won the first set 7-6 and lost the second set 6-7. These close matches indicate that Nadal is capable of defeating players much younger than him and ranked among the top 40.
A Carefully Planned Return
Nadal and his team are taking a gradual approach to his return. They have already designed a calendar that includes the Godó tournament, as announced by the tournament organizers. However, everything depends on Nadal’s physical condition. He has been working tirelessly to regain his form and make a successful comeback to the circuit.
Passionate about basketball since childhood, Guillermo GarcÃa has turned his love for the sport into a profession. He graduated in Humanities from Carlos III University and holds a Master’s degree in Journalism. Garcia began his career at Marca in 2003, covering various sports including football, reports, and opinion pieces. In 2011, he joined the official NBA website in Spanish as an editor, focusing on basketball news in the United States. He has covered multiple Eurobasket, World Cups, and Olympic Games, as well as ACB playoffs, NBA, and Euroleague Final Four games. Garcia has also had the opportunity to interview notable figures from other sports such as Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, and Armand Duplantis.