Rafael Nadal ‘hammers’ Andrey Rublev in new video that fuels comeback hopes
Rafael Nadal is closing in on his latest attempt to make a comeback and a practice session ahead of his return in Barcelona next week will have fuelled his optimism.
Nadal has not played since he made a comeback to the ATP Tour in Brisbane last January, where he picked up a fresh injury that forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open.
Further attempts to make a comeback at the Qatar Open, Indian Wells Masters and this week’s Monte Carlo Masters ended in disappointment, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion confirming why he was missing his latest event in a post on his social media platforms.
“These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise,” Nadal, who has won the title 11 times in Monte Carlo.
“Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me.
“And even if I am working hard and making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today.
“You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.
“The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better.
“Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!”
READ MORE: Barcelona Open announcement suggests Rafael Nadal could return next week
The conclusion from that announcement was that Nadal may miss a sizeable chunk of the clay court season, in what may be his final year on the ATP Tour.
As a 14-time French Open winner, Nadal’s best chance to enjoy some final moments of glory in the sport are likely to come over the next few weeks, so it is clear that he is now doing everything he can to play in Barcelona.
The Madrid Open and Rome Masters events are also on his proposed agenda for the next few weeks before he launches what may be a final attempt to win another Roland-Garros title.
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Nadal excited his fans earlier this week with a message that confirmed he is hopeful of playing in front of his Spanish fans in Barcelona next week.
“First training session… excited to be here these days leading up to the tournament,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I’m here to see how you doing. Looking forward to trying to play.
“Important to say that I don’t want to confirm that I will play, hopefully I will. We shall see.”
Nadal has stepped up his preparations since that message and the signs are positive after he held a practice session with 2023 Monte Carlo champion Andrey Rublev.
Reporters who witnessed the session claim Nadal won a set against world No 6 Rublev 6-1 , with the concerns over his back problem and the service motion it was impacting appearing to be fading.
Nadal will have doubts in his own mind about how he will perform in a competitive match until he gets onto the court and tests himself for real, but the signs are encouraging for fans hoping to see one of the game’s all-time great back on a clay court.