Age and injuries could make it harder for Rafael Nadal to launch successful comeback, feels Mats Wilander
Former Swedish great Mats Wilander feels that Rafael Nadal is likely to become "slower and slower" owing to age and lack of practice brought on by injuries.
Wilander, who is now a tennis analyst, does believe, however, that Nadal is tactically more clever and just as mentally strong as in the past.
The Spaniard, who will exit the top 10 for the first time since 2005 following his inability to play at Indian Wells, is recovering from a hip injury which he sustained during the Australian Open earlier this year.
I am sad that I won’t be able to compete at Indian Wells nor Miami.
Very sad not to be there. I’ll miss all my US fans but I hope to see them later this year during the summer swing. https://t.co/v6dsf1ayTI
"He's going to, obviously, become slower and slower because of age, but also if you can't practice all the time, you do lose some speed," Wilander stated over the course of an interaction with Eurosport.
The seven-time singles Grand Slam champion opined that that there was a limit to how much a player could do with a tennis ball without being able to move at 100%, while also reflecting on Nadal's ability to come up with new solutions.
"So there comes a point when there's a limit to how much you can do with a tennis ball without being able to move around at close to 100%. And, I think that's going to be his biggest enemy. But at the same time, Rafa Nadal keeps coming up with new solutions."
"Mentally, he's most probably as strong as ever. Tactically, he's more clever now, maybe because he's forced to be more clever," he explained.
The 2022 Indian Wells Open final - Where Rafael Nadal's injury woes began following a brilliant run
Rafael Nadal beat Maxime Cressy to win his 89th ATP singles title at the Melbourne Summer Set 1 back in 2022, thus heralding a brilliant run that continued up until the title round of the Indian Wells Masters.
After getting past Daniil Medvedev in a marathon five-setter in the final of the Australian Open, the Mallorcan steered ahead of arch rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer by bagging his 21st Grand Slam title.
More success was to follow in Acapulco, where Rafael Nadal triumphed over Cameron Norrie to win the Mexican Open title before travelling to Indian Wells.
The former World No. 1 defeated Nick Kyrgios and Carlos Alcaraz en route to the final but failed to get the better of Taylor Fritz, thus ending an incredible 20-match winning streak.
Absolutely sensational from Taylor Fritz who is receiving the ovation he deserves on Centre Court. He was the first man to beat Nadal this year on a 20-match winning streak and was very nearly the first to beat him at Grand Slam level this year after a 18 (now 19) match streak.
He subsequently announced that he would be out of action for six to eight weeks for a broken rib before returning to action in Madrid. Despite winning a record-extending 14th French Open title, Rafael Nadal continued to be hampered by pain in his left foot.
The spate of injuries that began following the 2022 Indian Wells Open final also forced Nadal to withdraw from the Wimbledon semifinals following an abdominal tear. Since then, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has struggled to get back into rhythm, a run that continues this year as well.