Rafael Nadal has battled injury for over a year, but his uncle, Toni Nadal, is adamant he will be fit to compete at Roland Garros and win the tournament.
Nadal has been the ultimate challenger at the clay Slam. His mind-boggling dominance is the reason why he has always been labeled the favorite in every edition of the French Open he has played in. He has won a record 14 titles and owns a remarkable 112-3 record.
However, he is fast approaching the end of his tennis career, at least according to his own admission. Nadal picked up a hip injury at last year's Australian Open, which proved to be a lot more serious than the initial scans, and it has completely turned his career upside down.
Nadal missed the remainder of the 2023 season (including the French Open) so that he could undergo surgery and begin rehab and preparation for the 2024 season. However, his return last month was curtailed by another injury to the hip, which raises serious questions about his long-term future.
Having retained hope of playing beyond 2024, his prospects are looking bleak. For now, though, he aims to recover in time to play in the United States in March. His uncle, Toni Nadal, spoke at the Rafa Nadal School of Sport at Alfonso X el Sabio University.
The legendary former coach opined that Nadal is still a favorite for Roland Garros and is convinced he will do everything possible to play there again. The 62-year-old also confessed to a private dialogue with his nephew, revealing the importance of the Olympic Games, which Nadal won in 2008.
"I still think that Rafael will go to Roland Garros (this year) and that he will win."
"The Games, for anyone, even for those who have other tournaments like Wimbledon in tennis, due to a tradition and a desire of any athlete, are something special. (Rafael Nadal told me) the Beijing Games were the best experience he had ever had, which he won thanks to the rest of the Spanish athletes and the atmosphere there."
Nadal withdrew from next week's Qatar Open, where he was expected to launch his second comeback. But it appears he will be gearing up to play the "Netflix Slam" exhibition with Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas.
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