Rafael Nadal‘s physical strength may not be as it used to be when he was at the peak of his game, but his mentality has not changed, according to his ex-coach and uncle, Toni Nadal.
The legendary Spaniard is bracing for a comeback season in 2024, where he will play his first ATP tournament at the Brisbane International, which commences on December 31. Nadal, 37, is making an uncustomary trip to Queensland for the second time in his career.
How his body will respond to the intensity of a competitive match in precisely 12 months remains the biggest question. Not even the man himself has the answer. For the first time, even his gregarious uncle, Toni Nadal, has put physical well-being over winning in his nephew’s first match.
Because of his lower ranking status, Nadal could draw a top seed as early as the first round in Brisbane. Winning that match is secondary for Toni Nadal, who spoke in an interview with RMC radio’s Bartoli Time programme.
“His movement wasn’t very good at first but over the last three weeks he’s been training at a good level. The important thing is not to try to win, but to have the feeling of playing well.”
Throughout his illustrious career, the 22-time Grand Slam champion had a reputation for being the ATP‘s workhorse due to his incredible footspeed and extraordinary athleticism. Playing against prime Nadal was akin to competing against the wall- getting the ball past him was that tough.
But now in his late 30s, Nadal doesn’t quite possess that physical strength that made him the most dogged of competitors. It is a fact of life that as he approaches 38, his physical capacity is unlikely to be the same as it used to be ten years ago.
However, according to his uncle Toni, Nadal’s mindset and mental strength have not changed all that time.
“He has the will to still be here, he loves tennis, he loves competition, he loves the game. It’s his dream to play the tournaments he loves one last time. The more he plays, the more competitive he will be. We know that his legs aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago, but in his head nothing has changed. He still has the same determination.”
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