Mention the name Rafael Nadal, and a gamut of emotions spring to mind. This time, down under in Brisbane, Australia, the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles starts as an underdog. Wait, this is not a fictional story but a real one, as the Spanish tennis sensation steps on court in the new year, trying to get his career back on the rails.
The last image of Nadal playing a tennis match is from January 2023 at the Australian Open, when he lost a second- round match to Mackenzie McDonald from the United States of America. He lost as he had sustained a major hip injury which saw him howl in pain and limp off the court.
The medical update bulletins on Nadal that kept trickling in throughout 2023, courtesy Uncle Toni Nadal or his own social media handle, were ones of more pain. And when the winner of 14 French Open titles announced before the start of the season’s second Grand Slam that he would be out for the entire year (2023), tennis fans went into mourning.
As a player, despite the locks receding and bald patches appearing, Nadal has continued to create a flutter in the hearts of his fans. Those who think he is past his prime would do well to take a reality check. The return of Nadal may not be a super hit at the box office, so to say. Yet, for sheer emotions, plus the comeback story of a wounded warrior, Nadal will grab the spotlight.
Sample this. A man who has won 24 Grand Slam titles — Novak Djokovic — is not grabbing headlines today as one more tennis season begins in Australia. All the news, social media alerts and news breaks are on Nadal at practice sessions. From the seasoned Andy Murray to Holger Rune, one of the youth brigade, each is in awe of Nadal’s comeback. No, this is not sympathy for an icon, a champion, staging an against-all-odds comeback.
At 37, Nadal is battered and bruised. Treatment, rehab, practice sessions., hitting the fuzzy green ball once again with his patent left-hand poetry in motion – he is not attempting to win a Grand Slam again. In the normal course, he may have skipped the Brisbane ATP event. No, this time, he goes in unseeded and runs the risk of being bounced out early.
Nadal knows no fear. In fact, right through his career, he has never feared anything or any opponent. His is a story of fighting for each point in a match. The longer the rally, the more sure you could be that Nadal would close it out by muscling into his rival and essaying a winner on either flank. His game has been physical. That cannot change. Never. He will attempt to compete once against fitter players, fully aware that despite all the training, he lacks match practice.
For all those who think maestros can reproduce the rhapsody at will, some practice is needed. Maybe, a rock star on stage minus practice can belt out a favourite number once the adrenaline rush is there. Maybe, an artist in front of the canvas can use the paint and easel to produce the right strokes with a brush, even if there was no practice.
Tennis is different. To produce the strokes with the racquet, you need practice plus matches under your belt. Rafa lacks this but he is not looking to tear the form book to shreds. He is mentally ready to go into a new season as the underdog. And yes, he is going out again just to get a feel of the atmosphere which tennis as a theatre offers.
You can be sceptical about Nadal’s return but you cannot be sarcastic. He resembles a wounded solider wanting to give it his best shot again, despite being in difficult terrain. By his own admission, the return itself has been a story. He has prepared hard for it, fought to get his focus back.
This time, there is no hype, but hope. Nadal is aware that he is stepping on the competitive tennis courts to enjoy his game and entertain fans, once again. He is not looking for sympathy, he is going to try hard. So hard that even playing doubles at the Paris Olympics in the 2024 summer with Carlos Alcaraz exists in the realms of reality.
One last chance, right?
Even a guy facing the gallows gets it. Why not Nadal? Vamos, Rafa!
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