Rafael Nadal is currently absent from the ATP Tour, but he still looked stylish during practice by wearing a new pair of shoes.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion had hoped to be fit for the Monte-Carlo Masters, which he has won a staggering 11 times. Sadly, Nadal withdrew from the event on Thursday.
His Uncle Toni Nadal recently spoke about the reasons for his nephew's withdrawal from Monte-Carlo. Despite those injury issues, Toni still thinks Nadal is among the favorites for this year's French Open, which starts on May 26, 2024.
Another man who is concerned about Nadal's injury issues is Carlos Alcaraz. The world No. 3 hopes his legendary compatriot will be fit in time for the French Open and then for the Olympics, which is being held at Roland-Garros.
An encouraging sign is that Nadal is continuing to practice at his academy, hoping to be ready for future clay court events. He has been doing this while wearing a new pair of shoes.
The shoes are predominantly a light shade of blue, which fits well with the colourful style of the red clay courts. This will create an aesthetically pleasing image for fans if Nadal does play future tournaments in those shoes.
There are also two noticeable features on the shoes. Firstly, Nadal has his first name engraved in white on one part of the shoe, creating a distinctive personalization that is common among many of the top players.
The other feature is the number 14 in blue on a white strip on the shoe. This is to represent the extraordinary 14 French Open titles that Nadal has won during his illustrious career.
Nadal is trying as hard as he can to be fit and ready to compete for a 15th title at Roland-Garros. The second Grand Slam of the year simply would not be the same without Nadal there.