Hinted during an interview with Eurosport Mats Wilander at that himself Rafael Nadal may have charged. Mats said: “I was convinced that Rafael Nadal would miss both Indian Wells and Miami, especially after winning the Acapulco tournament.
Chances are he pushed his body over the edge. If he had given up Indian Wells, he would have had a full month to train on his favorite surface.
It’s not the first time Rafa has exaggerated. He loves tennis and competition so much that he always wants to be on the court, especially in moments of great confidence. Pushing his limits, he injures himself, recovers and comes back in style.
This is how Nadal’s career can be summed up. We’re talking about the greatest player of all time on clay. When I think about it, it’s unbelievable that he’s won so much despite being out through injury.”
Rafa will be one of the protagonists of the Mutua Madrid Open, which will take place in the evocative setting of the Caja Magica.
Rafael Nadal will return to Madrid
The clay-court season started without Rafael Nadal, who sustained a stress fracture in his rib in the Indian Wells semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spanish champions started the season brilliantly and literally surprised everyone at the Australian Open. Arriving in Melbourne fresh from a long layoff through injury and with no great expectations, the former world No. 1 has pulled off one of the most incredible performances of his entire career.
After victories over Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini, Rafa was able to come back from two sets down in the final against Daniil Medvedev. Thanks to this triumph, the 35-year-old from Manacor rose to 21 Majors, beating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the all-time rankings.
The Spaniard is also the fourth man in history to have won all Grand Slams at least twice (alongside Djokovic, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson). A few hours ago, Nadal announced that he will be back in action in Madrid next week.
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