Rafael Nadal closing in on return to tennis, says Uncle Toni - 'Not long before he can compete again'
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 25/04/2023 at 09:43 GMT
The French Open at Roland-Garros could yet see the return to tennis of Rafael Nadal, his Uncle Toni has suggested. Nadal hasn't featured since the Australian Open with a muscle injury, and the 22-time major champion spoke this week about how he "can't work out what I need to compete". Toni admitted that Rafa is "not going to arrive at Roland-Garros with good preparation".
'Not here to take over from Rafa' says Alcaraz after winning Barcelona Open
Rafael Nadal is closing on a return to tennis, says his Uncle Toni, as he weighed up his nephew's chances at the upcoming French Open.
Nadal has been absent from the men's tour since January, when he lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Mackenzie MacDonald after having appeared to contract a hip injury during the match.
He was expected to return after six to eight weeks, but has now been missing for much longer, as his clay-court calendar - usually his strongest part of the season - has been decimated.
The French Open, an event he was won 14 times, remains a possibility however, with the tournament in Paris not due to begin for another month.
Speaking to RTVE in Madrid, Toni said: “Rafael is recovering, I think he is not long before he can compete again, but in this tournament (the Madrid Open) he could not be here.
“This is one of the tournaments that he is the most excited to play but we will have to wait for another year.
“Obviously he is not going to arrive at Roland-Garros with good preparation, we do not have to fool ourselves.
“Since January 10 he hasn’t played matches and he hasn’t competed for a long time.
“Before Australia he didn’t play many matches either, but Nadal picks up speed right away and in a Grand Slam it depends a lot on the draw.
"If you are lucky enough to have a reasonable draw in the first rounds, then anything can happen.
“I have said many times. Nadal in the second week [of a Grand Slam] is a favourite."
Nadal's outlook had been rather gloomier when announcing his decision to miss Madrid.
He said: "Initially it [the injury] had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we are now on fourteen. The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected.
"All medical indications have been followed, but somehow the evolution has not been what they initially told us and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.
"The injury still hasn't healed and I can't work out what I need to to compete. I was training, but now a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next.
"I can't give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don't know. This is how things are now."
- - -
Stream the French Open on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement