Tennis: Nadal in survival mode, the worrying exit about his condition!

Holder of a Master’s degree in sports journalism, I fell in love with tennis since childhood and have always loved reading the great stories of this sport. Today, I want to tell them about them, take full advantage of my passion and be as close as possible to the aces of the circuit.

Returning to the circuit a year after his injury at the 2023 Australian Open, Rafael Nadal was unable to play more than three matches before suffering a small tear. The Majorcan will now resurface at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells but before that, he played an exhibition on Sunday evening against Carlos Alcaraz, the “Netflix Slam”, where he ended up narrowly losing in a third set transformed into a super tie-break.

Even if this event was an exhibition in name only, Rafael Nadal did not display great physical form on Sunday evening at Las Vegas. The Majorcan was moving quite slowly and he confided in his state of form before tackling the first Masters 1000 of the year, where he uses his protected classification. A few weeks ago, he announced that he would give his decision regarding the end of his career before Roland-Garros.

A smooth return

Slightly injured during his return to Brisbane, Rafael Nadal seems to be having a little trouble getting back into shape. Before his match against Carlos Alcarazthe Majorcan didn’t really seem convinced. ” I do not know how I feel. To be really honest, because at this point I have no choice but to be honest, I haven’t played a single set since Brisbane. I’ve had better and worse times. The most important thing for me is that I am here. It is reality. If I’m here, that’s already good news. A fortnight ago, beyond the results, the objective was to play the (exhibition) match in Las Vegas and Indian Wells and I am close to achieving it. he declared before the exhibition where he did not really reassure.

Tennis: Alcaraz is preparing something heavy with Nadal! https://t.co/7izYyGEOb2 pic.twitter.com/R3rdPdYHgc

— le10sport (@le10sport) March 3, 2024

“For me, the priority is to try to come out of Indian Wells unscathed”

In a few days, Rafael Nadal will make his real return to competition before diving into the clay court season. The Mallorcan wants to gain playing time but according to his statements, he will have a lot of difficulty doing well. “I don’t know what level I’ll be at in Indian Wells, but it’s the least important today. I promise. For me it is important to spend a few days in Indian Wells and train with professionals. I can’t wait to play with Carlos in Las Vegas. The preparation for Indian Wells was bad and the preparation for Brisbane was good. I hope to play a set between Sunday’s match and the days I have left before my debut. For me, the priority is to try to come out of Indian Wells unscathed” he continues.

A risk taken?

By deciding to return to competition fairly early and not on clay as we might have thought before, Rafael Nadal exposes himself to difficulties and he may have taken a risk by deciding to spend so much time on hard. But this is perhaps also the sign that he is beginning his victory lap on the circuit. Last night, he still showed some of his best shots. Legends don’t die.