Rafael Nadal provided the first update on his physical condition in a while, with the 2024 Barcelona Open approaching.
The Spaniard's most recent update said that he was withdrawing from the Monte-Carlo Masters, which shocked many tennis fans, as it was expected that he would be ready for the clay-court part of the season.
Still, it seems that Nadal is limited mostly when it comes to his serving motion, and that's why he's taking every precaution, likely with the Roland Garros in his mind.
After the Monte-Carlo Masters withdrawal, the next tournament in the 37-year-old's schedule is the Barcelona Open. Ahead of the event, Nadal provided a crucial health update, saying he still doesn't know if he'll play at the tournament.
"Hello from Barcelona. First training session… with the hope of being here these days before the start of the tournament. I'm here to see how it goes... with the desire to try to play. I'll tell you about it. It's important to say that I don't want to confirm that I will play, I hope so. We'll see."
The Spanish player also already practiced in Barcelona, on the tennis court named after him at the venue of the ATP 500 tournament, but according to the reports, he didn't practice his serve during his practice session, the shout that should be troubling him on his comeback.
The 14-time French Open champion will now have a few key dates in his calendar. The Barcelona Open runs from April 15th to 21st, after that, the Madrid Open starts on April 24th and runs until May 5th, with the Italian Open in Rome starting soon after that on May 8th and running until 19th.
The tournament that Nadal certainly has in a big red circle is the Roland Garros, running from May 26th to June 9th in the French capital.