Dec 16, 2023, 3:50 PM ET
On the eve of the long-awaited return, the Spanish coach Carlos Moya detailed in an interview with the ATP about the extensive recovery in the left iliac psoas of the historic Rafael Nadal (668°), which kept him away from the circuit for practically the entire season.
Moyá has trained Nadal since 2018, totaling 17 titles together. EFE
“The useful life of an elite athlete has an expiration date. You are never aware of when that moment arrives, you always keep trying. I think in that aspect we have all had our doubts if I could get to Australia. I had the feeling that it could be the end, without even having the option to play again. It has been the most complicated moment I have experienced with him“said the former player, who knew how to lead the ranking for two weeks in 1999 and has been preparing the Manacorí since 2018, when he replaced Toni Nadal.
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Consequently, the owner of 20 titles at the highest level provided more specifications about the process: “Sometimes it was necessary to push a little, other times to pull back. Depending on the situation we saw on a day-to-day basis, especially his mental state and motivation. It has been a matter of finding the balance between what you tighten and loosen. We were aware that we had to be careful. It has not been a bed of roses, far from it, but a rather twisty and winding road with many curves“.
However, the three-time champion in Buenos Aires made a pleasant impression in Kuwait, where the left-hander shared training with the French youth player Arthur Fils (36th): “These days the truth is that it has gone very well, much better than he expected.. Rafa arrived thinking that he was not going to be competitive or up to the task, but he leaves convinced that he may be. “I think we’re following the right progression.”
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“My biggest fear is the assimilation of party burdens, being impossible to have the same conditions in a training session as in a match. That’s the doubt I have right now, even more so in a Grand Slam. But we have time, if the Australian Open started tomorrow it would be a real fear. There is still a month left, the Brisbane tournament and demanding training sessions,” concluded Moyá.
2023-12-16 21:31:46
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