“Nothing is 100%.”
Rafael Nadal (Spain), winner of 22 men’s singles major titles, shares his thoughts on next season. Nadal’s season was cut short due to injury and he is preparing for a new season, possibly his retirement season.
In an interview with Movistar Plus, Nadal said, “I’m not afraid of the pain coming back. I want to go back (to the court) and be competitive,” he said.
Nadal, who hasn’t played an official match since crashing out in the second round of the Australian Open in January, withdrew from competition in May ahead of the French Open, which he has won 14 times. “I don’t know how the situation will change, but 2024 will be my last year as a tennis player,” he said.
“I don’t expect to win the Australian Open or the French Open,” said Nadal, who is preparing to return to action at the Australian Open next January with plenty of rest while undergoing surgery and treatment for injuries to his foot, abdominal muscles, and hip muscles. I know the difficulties I have with my age, fitness and not being able to give 100% in training,” he said, acknowledging the passage of time, but adding, “It doesn’t take away my hope (of returning).”
“If I’m fit, after the Australian and French Opens next year, the Paris Olympics (at Roland Garros) would be a very good place to end my career,” said Nadal, who is known for being one of the most competitive players on tour.
However, as he did in his last press conference, he left the door open to other possibilities: “I said that 2024 will be my last year (as a player), but I can’t be 100 percent sure,” he said, adding, “In four months (when the Australian Open starts), I don’t know. I’ll leave the future open,” he said. For now, it appears that Nadal wants to continue his career as long as he can while doing his best to rehabilitate.
“I don’t have to give a rush answer (about a return date). We’ll know in mid-November,” he said, explaining that his goal is to “ideally compete as much as possible and play as many tournaments as possible.”안전놀이터
Nadal also shared his thoughts on Novak Djokovic (Serbia), who overtook Nadal’s record for most major wins with three this season while he was away from the tour due to injury. “I don’t let Djokovic’s victories get me down. “I was the most inactive player on tour for a while,” he said, “and he played better than me, and I played my best. “I was the least active player on the tour for a while. He has a level of fitness, a level of physique that allows him to play better than me. He also expressed regret that he didn’t take better care of his body when he was younger.
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