Three hundred and forty-seven days. Since his professional debut in 2001, Rafael Nadal has never missed such a long period of competition. Until then, the Spaniard’s longest absence was seven months, from July 2012 to February 2013, when tendinitis in his left knee took him away from the courts, notably depriving him of the London Olympic Games. .
This time, it was “Rafa’s” hip – one of the only parts of his body that had left him alone until now – that forced him into a almost blank season in 2023. Since January 18 and his defeat against the American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open, Nadal has no longer offered a single “magic” forehand to his fans.
As a symbol, it is in the country which saw him injured that the former world number 1 officially returns to service, Sunday December 31 (around 6 a.m., Paris time), during the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. Nadal, associated with his compatriot Marc Lopez, will first play doubles against Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. Same day or Monday 1er January, the Spaniard will make his comeback in singles against a player from qualifying.
A true lover of his sport, the Mallorcan nevertheless did everything to come back more quickly. Until May, he trained to make his return to Roland-Garros, but his hip never gave him the possibility of finding the intensity required by “his” tournament, won fourteen times. Rafael Nadal therefore decided to undergo surgery on his left psoas on June 2 in Barcelona.
Completely deprived of a racket for almost four months, the left-hander resumed training at the beginning of October. Since then, he has held a series of sessions within his academy and, even if these are communication operations, numerous videos have shown him in great shape.
“He comes back with the intention of winning a Grand Slam”
“There were times when this return seemed impossible to medeclared the player on social networks at the beginning of December. But we remained hopeful, and I think I’m ready to start again. I don’t know what level or what to expect, but whatever. » His adversaries still fear him.
At the end of a three-hour training session with the Spaniard, on December 17, Richard Gasquet (76e) stated to The Team that he was already playing “very good, even if it lacked a little rhythm”. “He will be competitive. Afterwards, I don’t know if it will be in Australia or later”estimates the Frenchman, who has rubbed shoulders with Rafael Nadal since the youth categories.
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