Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal suffered one of his biggest setbacks this year. An abdominal injury sidelined Nadal for the entirety of the season. But as always, the Spanish maestro is on the verge of scripting a historic comeback in Australia. He is preparing well and was even seen training with a rising star at his academy.
Nadal began his defense of the Australian Open title well enough. However, his journey veered off track as Rafa injured his psoas muscle while playing against Mackenzie McDonald. Nadal had to undergo arthroscopic surgery, and after months of rehabilitation and training, he is ready. The Spaniard took to social media to announce his return to the court in Brisbane next year.
Nadal is training hard in Mallorca before he can head to his academy in Kuwait soon. In the meantime, he invited rising French star Gabriel Debru to train with him.
Work 😤 pic.twitter.com/i26aG5oQAT
— Debru Gabriel (@gabriel_debru) December 4, 2023
Rafa has looked on the practice courts, coming back after a long injury layoff. He is moving well enough once again, and some might say better, to compete at the highest level.
Nadal will play at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane to prepare for the Australian Open later in January. The anticipation around his return is sky-high. However, some fans are a little wary and have wondered if his body can handle the stress of the tour.
Rafael Nadal has always overcome obstacles in his path. It is a testament to his determination and mental toughness, the two traits intrinsically associated with him. While it is great to see Nadal training, Debru has also piqued the curiosity of the tennis world. Today, we take a deeper look at the young boy who caught the eye of Rafa.
Who is Gabriel Debru, the boy training with Rafael Nadal?
When training with Nadal, Debru held his own against the 22-time Grand Slam champion. It is no wonder that the young player has generated curiosity among tennis fans.
Debru is a 17-year-old player from France, born on December 21, 2005. He has been steadily climbing up the ATP rankings ladder. This year, Gabriel moved up 300 places and achieved his best rank of 310 as of August 28, 2023. He also has a rank of 650 in doubles.
Gabriel has found success on his junior and ITF tours. He won the French Open boys’ singles in 2022 and even reached Wimbledon’s boys’ doubles. Debru won his first ITF title in Gubbio, Italy, in July 2023. The youngster also reached his first ATP Challenger final this year before losing to Rudolf Molleker in the final.
The opportunity to train with Rafael Nadal must have been priceless for Debru. The Spaniard will be seen in action for the first time in a year in Brisbane in January.