Rafael Nadal will prepare for the upcoming Australian summer swing at his Academy in Kuwait, but he won't be preparing alone.
A few days ago, news broke in Spain that Rafael Nadal will travel to the Middle East to prepare for the Australian Open. It's nothing unusual as most players tend to do that as it allows them to prepare for an outdoor event by practicing outdoors in what is the middle of winter in the majority of the world.
Nadal opened an Academy in Kuwait and will use those facilities to prepare for his return to Brisbane International. It's returning to the calendar this year and the chosen spot for Nadal's comeback.
Preparations in Kuwait will be intense but with an added twist. He invited rising French star Arthur Fils to train with him for a week, something the French prodigy gladly accepted.
Fils had a pretty solid first season on the ATP Tour, carving out a place in the Top 50 thanks to some impressive wins and runs, such as the one in Antwerp where he even bested Stefanos Tsitsipas.
He very kindly invited me. I'm going to give it my all. I will try not to get too carried away on his forehands (smiles). I'm going to get the most out of it.
Conveniently, Fils is in the Middle East already, as he's playing at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah right now. He will face Hamad Medjedovic in the final on Saturday after beating compatriot Luca Van Assche on Friday in the semi-final.
The chance to practice with Nadal is a dream come true for Fils, who grew up idolizing Nadal. This is a golden opportunity to pick the brain of his idol, and who knows, perhaps it will end up being a passing-of-the-baton kind of moment. Time will tell.
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