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Rafael Nadal, after the physical problems and surgery he suffered in June, which caused him to miss the entire season, the hope of all tennis fans has always been to see the Mallorcan tennis player back on the court in 2024, dreaming of seeing him compete again once for a slam against lifelong rival Novak Djokovic and Spanish heir Carlos Alcaraz.
In an extensive interview with Nacho Albarrán, the Spaniard talked about various topics and clarified what his future goals are.
Rafa Nadal: “If I feel good physically, my head works"
First of all, the native of Manacor said he is optimistic about the last phase of his recovery from the injury, declaring that his hope is to return competitive for next season.
He said: "I hope that, two months from the end, things will change radically and that I will have the opportunity to prepare as I would like for next year. If I have the opportunity to train well and in full condition, for me improving is a motivation daily.
Also applying logic, the right decisions on my game, as long as my body allows me, to try to evolve." The 38-year-old Spaniard has announced that 2024 could be his last year on the circuit, but everything will depend on the sensations he has on the court.
Rafa explained: "I think it will be my last year, I'm quite convinced of it. If physically I feel good, usually my head works. If I feel competitive and I like what I do, why should I limit myself? I can't say 100% %, I can't say for sure because things can always happen." The other dream of the 22-time slam champion, a lover of team competitions with his national team, is to participate once again in the Olympic Games, a tournament which he has missed several times due to injury during his career.
He explained: "On a personal level, I would like to play it again. I have experienced incredible moments of coexistence, in which I was able to see what sport is in its purest essence. As for the doubles with Carlos, I didn't have the minimal conversation with him in this sense, but I would also like it, it would be a good motivation."
Nadal finally praised his coutryman Carlos Alcaraz, explaining that he was not surprised by the results of the 20-year-old from Murcia: "Carlos is not surprised by what he can do; at the moment, the only rival I see is Djokovic He is a step above the others, my feeling is that when he plays, the matches usually depend on him for 90% of his matches. In this sense, I don't think I'm surprised by what happened at Wimbledon."