Toni Nadal, uncle and trainer of Rafael Nadal, assured Tuesday on the Spanish TV channel TVE that “there is not much missing” for his protege, currently injured in a hip, to return to competition and aim for a 15th coronation at Roland-Garros, in a month.
“Rafael is in the process of healing, he does not miss much for him to return to competition. But it was not possible for him to be present at this tournament (in Madrid, editor’s note). It is one of the tournaments that excites him the most, but we will have to wait another year” to see him on the Masters 1000 in Madrid, said Toni Nadal.
“Obviously he won’t arrive with very good preparation, we mustn’t hide our face”, conceded Toni Nadal, who wants to see the glass half full: “in a Grand Slam tournament, it depends a lot of the draw. If you are lucky enough to have a fairly accessible draw in the first rounds, after…”
Especially since “Rafael, in the second week, he is still one of the favorites” for Toni Nadal. “In the first week, lately, he really isn’t. He wasn’t in Australia, but in the second week, you start saying to yourself “well, maybe we have to reckon with him…”. And we hope that we can say the same thing at Roland-Garros”, wished the coach of the legend on clay.
Nadal, 36, suffered a psoas (hip flexor) injury at the Australian Open in January, and has had to withdraw from all competitions he has been scheduled to play since then. The Majorcan, tied with Novak Djokovic at the top of the number of Grand Slam titles won (22), will try to get a 23rd coronation at the French Open.