Rafael Nadal is only hours away from returning to the ATP singles circuit. He will meet the Austrian qualifier Dominic Thiem in the 1st round of the tournament in Brisbane. Pictures from the end-of-year training of the Spanish tennis player went around the world. However, the photographers did not only focus on shots from the court, but also from the stands. A reason? Nadal had a special fan on her.
The native of Mallorca will return to competitive action after almost a year’s absence. She suffered a hip injury from the match with the American Mackenzie McDonald in the 2nd round of last year’s Australian Open.
news-item-description">A congress of the technology company Infosys, which also deals with the statistical analysis of ATP tournaments, was held in Vienna. The guest of the event was Rafael Nadal, who was invited to combine the best qualities of tennis players to create the most perfect one.
During training with another famous name Andy Murray in the last days of last year, Nadal was also watched by his wife María Francisca Perrelová and one-year-old son Rafael Nadal junior. He was photographed holding a mini-rocket, meaning he could be following in his famous father’s footsteps.
Little Rafa was born in early October 2022. He is the first child of the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Thirty-seven-year-old Nadal is ready for a comeback, but he realizes that he will not collect trophy after trophy. “I feel good, I can’t complain. It’s much better than I expected a month ago. It is impossible for me to think about triumphs in tournaments. But I can enjoy being back on the circuit. I don’t expect to be competitive. However, when I get on the court, I will give my best.” promises Nadal, who starts in Brisbane thanks to a wild card.
He has no doubt that it will be difficult at first. “I haven’t played for a year and I’ve only been training hard for a month. Just being here is a victory. I am glad that I had a lot of support. I want to have the opportunity to be more and more competitive. I have to accept that things won’t be perfect at first. But I have to work every day and have a good attitude,” he added.
Words about a difficult return are confirmed by his – already played – doubles duel. Alongside compatriot Marc López, he lost twice in Brisbane to the home duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 4:6.
2024-01-01 15:15:00
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