The Spaniard underwent arthroscopic hip surgery to repair the issue and has been coaching exhausting during the last a number of months in a bid to make a comeback in 2024. When asserting his withdrawal from this yr’s French Open, his first time lacking the event since 2004, Nadal admitted the 2024 season may be the last of his illustrious career.

He has performed down his probabilities of difficult the highest gamers subsequent yr however Juan Carlos Ferrero, who gained Roland Garros in 2003 and now coaches Alcaraz, has not dominated out Nadal returning to the highest of his recreation. “He will surely return wanting to compete because he has a competitive animal inside him,” the previous World No. 1 advised Spanish news outlet Marca.

“I see it as logical that he does not see himself competing with Djokovic, or against the best right now, because he has been out of competition for a long time and it is always difficult to get started. But once he is on the track, his mentality of competing at his best will not change. In the [2022] Australian Open that he won against [Daniil] Medvedev, it was thought that he had less chances and he won.

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“Those who are very, very good always come up with something different from the others and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them at the highest level again. How long? Whatever it gives him physically, but I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with winning two games.”

It wasn’t till final week that Nadal confirmed he would be returning to the tour. The Mallorcan has made vital progress in his coaching and believes he could be aggressive within the sport as soon as once more. With Djokovic in imperious kind and the youthful gamers persevering with to enhance, Nadal, who turns 38 subsequent yr, faces the hardest check of his profession when he returns to motion.

“I know it will be difficult to return to a very high level of tennis, but if I did not have the hope of being competitive again, I would not have done the work I did these months,” he mentioned. “The effort that must be made after a very long career, which the years weigh on. I’m not going to win more Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic, but I’m going to give myself the opportunity to have fun again.”

Should Nadal make a return to the tour, he could have an opportunity to play at one other Olympic Games, which is able to happen on his beloved clay courts at Roland Garros in 2024. During a conversation with Spanish newspaper AS in September, Nadal expressed his need to play alongside Alcaraz within the doubles competitors to attempt to win yet another gold medal for Spain.

“Everyone knows that I have always been a lover of Games. I have lived incredible moments of coexistence, of seeing what sport is in its pure essence,” Nadal mentioned.

“Regarding the fact of playing doubles with Carlos, I have not had the slightest conversation with him in that regard. But I would also like and it would be a good motivation, another incentive for me to be able to close my Olympic cycle playing with Carlos, with everything he is achieving, with the young people and with the great future he has ahead of him.”