Rafael Nadal won't be going to South America to play on clay but rather will focus on the American events on hard courts according to his coach.
Nadal's return to Australia was deemed a pretty solid success, as his tennis looked really good. His body betrayed him after a few matches, but he was lucky to escape without any serious damage.
He will make his comeback at the Qatar Open in Doha, hoping to get back on track with a few wins. The plan for February is pretty simple: He'll start off there and see what happens after that.
According to his coach, Carlos Moya, who shared the information in an interview with Punto de Break, there are no plans to travel to South America, where clay-court events are held.
"Surface changes are not easy. While it is true that the clay should be better for the joints, to go from hard court to the clay, to go back to the United States and then again to the clay, we thought it was a little excessive. That's why we chose this calendar, without so much change of surface."
This opening season calendar can be quite challenging for players because they start on hard courts in Australia. The same surface is present during the Middle Eastern swing, but at the same time, there are clay events in South America.
Then there is the Sunshine Double in the United States, played on hard courts, and then players move on to the clay season in Europe, which lasts a good two months.
That's a lot of changes in a short time, especially for a player coming back from injury. According to Moya, he'll be competitive at those events.
"Rafa reminded me of a bull that has been locked up for a year, you release it and it goes like a beast. He will be a candidate to win the tournaments he plays."
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