Nadal 'Training Well' Ahead Of Davis Cup Farewell Says Uncle Toni

Rafael Nadal's decision to retire from professional tennis at the Davis Cup Finals this month is influenced by numerous physical issues, but his uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, gave an encouraging update about how he is training.

What condition Nadal will arrive in for Team Spain's quarterfinal against the Netherlands on November 19th is uncertain due to a lack of match practice caused by repeated injury issues for more than two years.

Since winning an unprecedented 14th French Open title in June 2022, Nadal has endured a range of injuries, the most severe of which was a severe hip injury sustained at the 2023 Australian Open.

The Spaniard made a few comeback attempts to try and reach the level that brought him so much success throughout his career. He competed at the French Open and the Olympics, both held at Roland-Garros.

Eventually, Nadal accepted that returning to a level good enough to win Grand Slams was impossible because his body could no longer manage the physical intensity required to reach the final stages of those events.

His uncle Toni admitted that Nadal wanted to carry on playing since he had recovered from so many physical issues in the last, but he retired after finally realizing that would not be possible this time.

Nadal's sole appearance since announcing his retirement was at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, which took place from October 16th to 19th. The 38-year-old played Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the financially lucrative tournament.

Despite losing to both men in straight sets, Nadal still showed encouraging signs in both matches. The match against Djokovic marked the final installment of their epic rivalry, and the Serbian paid an emotional tribute to his rival afterward.

According to Toni, Nadal has been training well since. Although he is retiring soon, Toni told Marca that the last few weeks were the best he had seen his nephew train for a while, which is a very encouraging sign.

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Nadal will likely play doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the Davis Cup Finals. Whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion plays in the singles will depend on how he trains in the coming weeks, but Toni's latest update is a good sign.

Surprisingly, despite being Nadal's coach from his childhood until early 2017, Toni revealed he would not be at Rafael's farewell event because he has to work in Rome during the Davis Cup Finals.

Many guests, including Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, hope to attend what Davis Cup Finals tournament director Feliciano Lopez promises will be a special celebration of Nadal's career.

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