Rafael Nadal, who has been injured since January 18, says he’s going through a ‘difficult time’ and that ‘because of what could happen’, he jokes they’ll finish the renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu quickly because he’s already – is 36 to 37. June 3rd – and if Real Madrid has the idea of offering an exhibition at its stadium, it will have to speed up the pace of the work. Yesterday Wednesday, the tennis player returned to the Chamartín box to witness the cup clash between the white team and Barcelona (0-1) and during the break he answered questions from the #Vamos channel to comment on how and when his recovery is going he plans to get active again. Carefully and realistically, Nadal called for prudence.
“I go very bit by bit, I have to go week by week,” introduced the 22-year-old champion, who had been in reserve for a month and a half and injured his left iliopsoas during the Australian Open’s second-round match, against American Macenzie MC Donald. “I haven’t talked much since then, but that’s when I had a big, big look. I had a very large tear in the muscle [grado 2, según el parte emitido por el doctor Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro al día siguiente del percance] and I tore a little bit of the tendon in a very complicated place; The psoas is very important in all sports, but in tennis we get strength from there,” he specified.
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Nadal, whose primary goal is to be able to play and link tournaments to continue feeling like a full-fledged tennis player, had no choice but to stop again and deal with a spectacular injury that forces him not to rush . “It’s a slower development than we’d like, so we have no choice but to be patient. It’s true that the calendar goes by and I’m not even 20 years old. When you have a season like mine you get tired but I’m doing everything I can. I’m at the academy every day, training, going to the gym, resting… I only train 15 or 20 minutes on the track so the arm doesn’t degenerate, but I’m waiting for the development,” he pointed out.
The tennis player, who won two Majors (Australia and Roland Garros) and five trophies last year, faces a momentous season that could mark a definitive turning point in his career. His professional continuity may depend on what happens in the coming months. Bored with going through the infirmary over and over again, Nadal aspires to prolong his career because he still has the desire to compete and win, but he demands a regularity he hasn’t quite achieved. Over the past year he has suffered several physical mishaps and has just ruled out five events: Dubai, Doha, the Indian Wells Masters 1000 and Miami, as well as an exhibition scheduled for this Sunday in Las Vegas.
stretch in the air
When asked when he’ll be back, he replies: “I don’t know if it will be in Monte Carlo, Barcelona or Madrid, but if I’m fine I’ll be back. I feel like playing and when I’m ready I’ll be right back.” If things develop positively and there are no setbacks, his idea is to perform again in the Arena of Monte Carlo (from 9 23), Madrid (26 – 26 June). to May 7th), Rome (from 10th to 21st) and finally Roland Garros (from 28th to 11th June).
Meanwhile, the Spaniard loses his privileged position in the ATP list. Installed second at the end of the course, Nadal is relegated to the eighth step and is expected to fall further; Specifically, the system will subtract points for the win in Acapulco a year ago and the finals in Indian Wells, dropping it from the top-10 for the first time since April 2005, which will set it at 912 weeks of its record stay.
“I’d rather be there than not, that’s proof, but you have to accept things as they come,” he said. “With all the injuries I’ve had over those 18 years, it’s half a miracle I didn’t get out of it. A lot has happened lately: broken ribs, psoas, foot problems [izquierdo]… There are a lot of things and in tennis if you can’t play you leave the top-10,” he added, before concluding: “In a little over a month the clay season is coming and you have to try to add but The most important thing for me is to feel that I’m healthy and that after a few games I feel like I’m fighting for what I want and fighting for the end goal, which is Roland Garros.
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