News of Rafael Nadal’s likely return to the tennis tour in 2024 has taken Internet by storm. On Friday evening, the Spanish left-hand slugger set social media ablaze, especially the Wimbledon, French Open, US Open and Australian Open X (Twitter) handles which had his posters, again.
“After one year outside of the tour, I think it’s the right moment to be back,” he said, still the heartthrob of millions of fans. “So I feel ready to announce that I will be back in Brisbane, the first week of the season.”
The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles hobbled out of the Australian Open in January 2023. His hip injury was serious and the general impression was that he would, perhaps, never play again. Before the start of the French Open, Nadal had again posted a video which said he was going to be out for the whole year. His heart yearned for tennis, yet those owing allegiance to Novak Djokovic and young Carlos Alcaraz thought Nadal was done and dusted.
The big picture for Nadal is the Paris Olympics, to be held on clay. He did not play the Davis Cup in 2023, which makes him “ineligible” for the Olympics. However, the International Tennis Federation is already exploring the option of a wild card for Nadal and Alcaraz in doubles, which has angered a few.
Nadal is not returning to take on Djokovic, his arch-rival. He has been slogging in rehab for over seven months. That he has been fine-tuning his game and unleashing a flurry of strokes in practice at his own academy has been seen on social media. None other than Carlos Moya, his coach, reacted to news of Nadal’s return with an emoticon on X.
For those who have followed the Big 3 – Djokovic, Nadal and the retired Roger Federer – the return of a fitter version of clay’s best exponent is awaited with bated breath. Nadal is not trying to compete with Djokovic for more Grand Slam titles, but he wants to sign off by giving it his best shot.
For someone who has flirted with injuries for two decades of his distinguished career, because of his physically intense style – running back and forth, side to side and muscling his way into each shot – the return in January will be tantalising. If he wins even a few rounds at the Australian Open, that would be huge.
Shorn of match practice, he will be a bit rusty. However, when he slips into clay mode, he could be really dangerous. The romance of Paris and Nadal, be it the French Open or the Olympics, is a big deal for fans. For the record, tennis tickets at the Olympics have already sold out!