Rafael Nadal hits practice court. Will we see him in Paris?
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Instead of practicing at Foro Italico, Rafael Nadal trains at home in Mallorca. A ten-time Rome Masters champion withdrew from one of his favorite tournaments after failing to return at 100% following a severe hip injury. Nadal works hard on the practice court, hoping to recover entirely in the upcoming weeks and play at Roland Garros.
Rafa has not played since the Australian Open, missing three and a half months and losing ground after withdrawing from eight tournaments. After many setbacks in the previous season, Nadal experienced another in Melbourne at the start of 2023.
He fell to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round and injured his left hip in the second set. Rafa refused to retire as the defending champion, dealing with pain in the third set but losing it 7-5 for his worst result at Majors since 2016.
Instead of missing six to eight weeks, Rafa could not recover for his beloved clay swing, missing Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome for a massive blow.
Rafael Nadal trains at home and hopes to enter Roland Garros.
In an ideal scenario, Nadal would have played the Rome Masters and gained some boost ahead of the season’s second Major and his main goal.
Despite positive signs, Rafa decided to miss Rome and remain on the practice court, still not ready to embrace competitive matches. The Spaniard has been dealing with numerous setbacks over the last few years. He remained in the GOAT race after winning Majors, mainly in Paris, giving his everything to stay injury-free but taking many months off the court.
Rafa has played only 13 matches after the last year’s Wimbledon, experiencing eight losses and failing to find the rhythm. Nadal made a slow start to the current season, dropping both matches at the United Cup and entering the Australian Open with no confidence.
To make things worse, he experienced a severe hip injury that ended his campaign and ruined his season. The Spaniard revealed a Grade 2 iliopsoas that should have kept him away from the court…
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Source : tennisworldusa
