Almost 350 days after his last appearance, Rafael Nadal officially competed on the court again. Little can be extracted from the inconsequential rehearsal in the doubles this Sunday against Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, mere filming, a kind reintegration into the game with his friend (and now also a coach) Marc López. The score does not matter, it favors the Australian duo: double 6-4, in 1h 13m; just over an hour that will surely come in handy. Today, all mileage is worth gold. The Mallorcan, back after closing the longest break in his 20-year career in the elite, feels like a tennis player again and this first appearance is nothing more than a simple preview of the individual return that will take place on Tuesday, not before 9:30 Spanish time (Movistar+).
Then he will face the Austrian Dominic Thiem, in a test that will surely be much more reliable and in which he will truly get back on track. In this first staging, Nadal, 37, only outlined details. He is tactful with drive, because for him that is like riding a bicycle, and above all he offered optimistic signs in mobility. There is no better indication in the return than the execution of the maneuvers, and the Spaniard was perceived well, dynamic, fresh in his legs, firm in the start and intuitive; He was not good on the volley, but from the trench he once again commanded respect. Conspiratorial winks towards his bench, several laughs. Positive signs at the Queensland Tennis Center in Brisbane and the final smile of the protagonist, who reappeared hand in hand with his friend Marc.
Together they achieved Olympic gold in 2016, and then a long professional career for Nadal was not foreseen. He returns once again to the fray, who knows if he will say goodbye sooner or later, time (and his body) will tell. In any case, his sport welcomes him with open arms and on Tuesday an interesting duel awaits with Thiem, in his day the strongest opponent on clay – both starred in two Roland Garros finals – and now immersed in a very raw fight for return to the space that gave way as a result of a serious wrist injury and the intrinsic mental damage. The Spaniard knows this, back on the court, happy to play again and receive the warmth of the stands. He lost, pure anecdote. In reality, a juicy emotional victory.
Determination and realism
“I have a good feeling here, in Brisbane, that's why I have decided to return. “I wanted to return to a place that brought back good memories,” he said before taking to the court this Sunday, referring to his double time in the tournament in 2017 and 2018. That first parade — he lost in the quarterfinals, against the Canadian Milos Raonic — preceded to his landing in the final of the Australian Open, against Roger Federer, and the following one was cut short due to an injury. Six years later, the man from Manacor emphasizes that he cannot predict anything, although he clarifies that “there are many options” for this to be his last tour of Australia. Victory, he emphasizes, is not the end, but rather feeling that he can play against anyone.” Above all, he longs for the feeling of competing.
“I haven't been able to do it because, during this time, my body was not prepared. When you feel bad, you can't do it. I missed being healthy and waking up pain-free, having the opportunity to have a normal life; so when I started to feel ready, like now, I knew I would be eager for the competition to arrive. That's what I like. If I didn't have the determination and the passion, I wouldn't be here,” he continues, downplaying the praise that rains down on him from other players: “If you ask them, they're not going to say that I'm a disaster… Whatever they say, no. “He has a lot of value, because if I were in his position I wouldn't say bad things about anyone else.”
Aware of the enormous expectation generated by his return, as well as that once he is on the scene again, his followers dream of another impossible theorist, the tennis player tries to lower the message and joins the line of prudence transmitted by his circle. For now, Nadal prefers not to make any kind of prediction. Feet on the ground, he insists. “I don't care if I win or lose,” he says, before adding: “If I'm realistic, I'm happy with the way I'm training. I don't have the expectations that I had in the past. I had surgery a year ago [del psoas ilíaco y de la cadera] and I haven't had much time to reach a decent level, so what happens next is unpredictable.”
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
#Nadal #reappears #loses #enjoys