Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya has stated that his player still very much intends to play Roland Garros this spring, and that is the event he is focusing on getting fit for.
Nadal has been out of action since injuring his hip during a second round defeat at the Australian Open in January. The initial timeframe for recovery was 6 - 8 weeks, but the Spaniard has now been away from the competitive match court for over three months.
The 14-time French Open champion is facing an uphill task to be fit in time for his favourite tournament, an event at which he has achieved astonishing and unparalleled success.
But Nadal's participation in the second Grand Slam tournament of the season is in serious jeopardy. Should he manage to overcome a troublesome and persistent injury within the next week, he will still only have one tournament in which to get some match practice under his belt before the start of Roland Garros.
This has led many to speculate that this year may finally be the one in which Roland Garros goes ahead without the 22-time Grand Slam champion in the draw. But his coach Moya has given Rafa fans renewed hope that the Spaniard could still compete this year.
These are tough times because he is a competitive beast and this is his favorite time of the year. So for him, saying 'no' to tournaments like the Madrid Open, like Monte-Carlo, like Barcelona, it hurts. But the goal is still Roland Garros. It is clear that the preparation is not going to be ideal. But he is Rafa Nadal, you can always expect the best from him.
To further growing optimism that Nadal may be fit to play at the French, the reigning Roland Garros champion recently shared a photograph of himself practicing at his academy in Mallorca.
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