Despair turns to hope: Rafael Nadal is not a goner yet
Apr 28, 2024 04:28 PM IST
If you are a Rafael Nadal fan, the last few months particularly have not been good for you. But at last, there are good tidings.
When the 22-time grand slam champion returned to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International in January earlier this year after almost a gap of one year due to hip-related issues, fans were hopeful of a successful comeback particularly in relation to his injuries.
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But then he suffered a different hip issue during his quarterfinal defeat in Brisbane. As a result, he had to pull out of the Australian Open scheduled to kick off a few days later.
The Spaniard was then supposed to play at Indian Wells in March but 24 hours before his first match he pulled out of the tournament because he wasn’t feeling up to it because his recovery wasn’t fully realised. For the same reason, he didn't participate in the Monte Carlo Masters either earlier this month.
It was okay because fans wanted him to be absolutely fit. Finally, he played at the Barcelona Open and probably for the first time in many months his fans well and truly feared for his future after what transpired in his short stay there. In his first match against Flavio Cobolli, Nadal looked in control and dispatched his Italian opponent in straight sets.
The next encounter was, however, against fourth seed Alex de Minaur who beat the Spaniard in straight sets. Nadal was some kind of match in the first set but in the second, the Aussie ran away to a 6-1 domination. Doubts would have crept into Nadal's fans, like if he was now really any good against top-class opponents.
That is why Nadal’s Round of 64 against de Minaur again at the Madrid Open on Saturday was an important contest. Nadal had sounded quite vague at the start of the tournament, like he was not sure of his participation at the French Open. He said he will play in his favourite event only if he thought he was able to compete. Then he also said he was playing in the Madrid Open for the last time.
Both pieces were awfully grim. They confirmed Nadal was not still fully fit and that he was unlikely to go beyond 2024 as a professional as he had suggested last year owing to the nature of his injuries. They suggested Nadal may win a few matches against lesser players but against top professionals, he didn’t have any chance.
But the way Nadal played against de Minaur after his defeat to him in Barcelona 11 days ago, it appears things are not entirely hopeless. Yes, he may not feel confident in relation to his injuries and fitness but there was a strong signal that with a bit of luck, the 37-year-old was still capable of beating top opponents and winning the tournaments, big or small.
Nadal had demolished American Darwin Blanch 6-1 6-0 in his first match but all eyes were on the second encounter against de Minaur. Just like Barcelona, 10th seed de Minaur and Nadal went neck-and-neck in the first set but Nadal this time held his nerve to win 7-6 (8-6). In the second set, he kind of meted out the same treatment de Minaur had given him in Barcelona and claimed it 6-3.
Nadal now meets Argentine Pedro Cachin who beat 20th seed Frances Tiafoe in a three-setter. Even though Cachin despatched an opponent much higher in the ATP ranking, Nadal would fancy his chances against him. In a matter of days, if you are a Nadal fan, your spirits would certainly have lifted.
How Nadal is important to the world of tennis can’t be overstated enough. In his absence, Djokovic, who has had a horrible 2024 so far, has admitted he is not motivated enough during his matches. Who knows, Nadal’s return to full fitness and full competitiveness might also bring the Serb back from the slump. Nadal’s showing against de Minaur should give everyone a lot of hope.
