Rafael Nadal is the 'master of underpromising' and then 'overdelivering' at least according to the former world no. 1, Andy Roddick.
If we had to pick a theme for this year's Nadal's comeback, it would be 'careful statements.' You can't find a single statement in which Nadal sounds optimistic or bullish about his future.
That's how careful he has been, especially when discussing expectations. It makes sense in many ways because the situation is complicated. Another hip injury would end his career instantly.
A knee injury, as well, or even an ankle injury, would probably put a lid on his legendary career. As unlikely as it is, though, these things can happen at any time.
That's why Nadal is careful about expectations. While he is trending to where he wants to be, it's never guaranteed he'll end up there. Even with all of that, Roddick sees a clear trend in Nadal's 'underpromising' statements, since his comeback started.
"At the beginning of the tournament he said, ‘if I feel the way that I feel physically right now with confidence, not knowing what I have, I don’t know if I’ll play Roland Garros.’ I tend to not believe that. I think he’s the master of under promising and over delivering."
It's hard to conceive that Nadal won't play at the French Open in Paris unless something goes completely wrong. He'll in Rome this week, drawing a qualifier in the first round.
If he passes that test, the 14-time Roland Garros champion will take on Hubert Hurkacz, who will provide yet another better indication for the Spanish player of where his level is at the moment.
After the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, he will already shift his focus to the tournament that matters the most to him - the Roland Garros.
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