Rafael Nadal shares positive news regarding his forthcoming schedule.
The Spaniard was dealing with a number of problems even prior to suffering a serious hip injury in January 2023 at the Australian Open. Midway through 2022, he had an abdominal tear that compromised his form. The next year, he began experiencing hip problems.
In 2024, Rafael Nadal has only be able to participate in two tournaments. One was also not an ATP-approved competition. He played at the Brisbane International to start the year before sustaining a slight ailment to the same hip he had in 2023.
It led to his withdrawal from the Australian Open. He then participated in the Netflix Slam, losing against Carlos Alcaraz, but at the end of the match, he appeared to be troubled by a back or stomach issue.
Still, there’s positive news. When the Barcelona Open commences the following week, Nadal is anticipated to be fit to compete. Nadal is scheduled to visit Barcelona in order to get ready for the ATP 500 tournament, which involves a practice match against other elite players, as per SER Deportivos.
After testing himself in the Barcelona competition, Nadal will compete in the ATP 1000 Madrid Masters, assuming all goes according to plan (though given his history of injuries, that may not be a fair assumption).
Rafael Nadal updates on his schedule and health
Madrid is scheduled to start the week after Barcelona, so a player who has struggled to participate in any competitions this year may have high expectations for him to compete in back-to-back competitions.
Playing on clay courts should be less strenuous on the body than playing on hard courts, at least in these competitions. And Nadal is a clay-court specialist, so he can win the event even if he is just at 70 percent of his best.
After Madrid, Nadal is supposed to take a break and forego the Rome Open. Later in May, he would make a comeback for the French Open. With 14 victories in the competition, the Spaniard is a clear favorite in 2024.
Additionally, Nadal can decide to call it a day at Roland Garros for his professional career. Though it wouldn’t seem like a suitable farewell, he might attempt to compete in the July Summer Olympics, which are held at Roland Garros. That would mean, though, competing in and winning the French Open.