After an extensive injury layoff, Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal is finally ready to make a comeback. It has been a difficult road for Nadal, but he has done the impossible yet again. And now, the anticipation around his return has reached a fever pitch. The Spaniard has taken to sharing snippets of his journey, and fans cannot seem to get enough of how good he looked when training with Arthur Fils.
Nadal injured his psoas muscle at the Australian Open, which consequently sidelined him for a year. What followed were months of rehabilitation after his surgery. Nadal took to social media to announce his return to the courts in Brisbane to prepare for the Australian Open.
The Spaniard has been training hard in the meantime. He is currently in Kuwait, training with Arthur Fils at his academy, before he heads back to Spain.
A practice point from Nadal and Fils 🔥
Those forehands from Rafa 🔨
📸 sofiaaa8 IG pic.twitter.com/xPHsxicFZF
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) December 8, 2023
The clip surfaced on social media recently, and fans have much to look forward to. At the same time, this is a huge opportunity for Fils, whom Nadal invited to train with. He will try to make the most of his time with Rafa and gain knowledge from the maestro.
The southpaw is showing very promising signs at practice. Some fans believe that Nadal is, in fact, moving better than he did before his unfortunate injury. Rafa’s forehand looks as incredible as ever, and he has not lost his intensity despite being away for so long.
Imagine if Rafa comes back for his final year on tour just being ultra aggressive and unwilling to give an inch on the baseline. Slapping forehands. 🔥🎾 pic.twitter.com/bHqs0dCScE
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) December 8, 2023
These are exciting times for tennis fans as Rafael Nadal prepares for the new season. Even his new kits for the tournaments have been released. While there is much to look forward to, Nadal is taking a more pragmatic approach.
Rafael Nadal makes an honest confession about his comeback
With 22 Grand Slams under his belt, the Spaniard has etched his name in the annals of tennis history. Nadal is a master of his craft, and the court is his playground. Even though Nadal still has much to offer, he is taking a sensible approach to his return.
Rafa confessed that he does not care which level he will play at, but he is raring to go. “I don’t know at what level, I don’t know what to expect, I have no idea, but I don’t care right now,” he said in a clip.
Hola a todos. Aquí tenéis más información tras el anuncio del viernes:
👉🏻 Ha sido un año largo…
👉🏻 Claro que ha habido muchas dudas, claro que habido momentos que parecía imposible…
👉🏻 Estoy listo para volver, no sé a qué nivel, no sé qué se puede esperar, no tengo ni idea,… pic.twitter.com/XAz8EoltDf— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 6, 2023
Many think that while Nadal may be a little rusty initially, he can still surprise anyone on a good day. But Rafael Nadal is not thinking that far ahead, and he wants to enjoy each day as it comes.