After almost a year, Rafa Nadal has completed his return to the courts. The Spaniard will reappear in the first week of January at the Brisbane tournament, which will be his first contact with the competition since the last edition of the Australian Open.
“I don’t know what level I can play at, but I know I will play again. I never lost the illusion“explained the former world number 1 a few weeks ago at the official presentation of the Teknon Tennis Clinic. And that is the big unknown, if he will be able to fight again with Djokovic, Alcaraz and company for important titles, something that some do not see at all clearly.
This is the case of the former coach of Venus and Serena Williams, Rick Macciwho in an interview on ‘Tennis Infinity’ said that “He’s not as good as he used to be, so I don’t see him as a contender to win a Grand Slam. I think he can be competitive and hard to win on clay, but it all depends on his health.
“As you get older you lose mobility and people don’t fear you when they see you vulnerable. There is not much distance between the top tennis players and those who are a little lower, and when they know they have a chance it is different, also on clay” he added.
Nadal will start the season as number 663 in the ATP ranking, a classification that will not prevent him from accessing any draw. because they will use invitations or protected rank, that is, the classification they had at the time they declared themselves on long-term leave.
In this way, Your rank will actually be number 9, but that won’t help you get seeded in the various tournaments he played in the first nine months (or nine tournaments) after his return.
Nadal will not have any ‘privileges’, who will rely on luck not to face in the first round with players as strong as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinnerwhere he will now top the bill at the Australian Open.
And that is the great goal of the Balearic Islands in its return, to be competitive in big tournaments to close a sports career to mark in a big way.
So far, he has confirmed his presence in Brisbane, where he already competed in 2017, making it to the quarterfinals. He beat Alexander Dolgopolov and Mischa Zverev, lost to Milos Raonic. He will be a finalist at the Australian Open, which has always been his priority.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
