"Hallucinating and in disbelief of it to be the real Rafael" - Tennis fans ecstatic to see Nadal back on court for practice session

Rafael Nadal has been out of action since his shocking second-round exit at the 2023 Australian Open. But now he is back on the practice courts, and his fans are overjoyed about that.

Nadal suffered a hip injury during his match against Mackenzie McDonald in Melbourne. He hinted at a possible surgery after that and suggested that he could be taking a temporary break from the tour.

Over the last month, there has been no update on the Spaniard's physical condition. But a video of him practicing on a clay court at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca broke the internet on Monday.

Nadal's session on clay could be an indication that he won't be making a return at the BNP Paribas Open or the Miami Open, both of which take place on hardcourts. But despite the 22-time Slam champion's participation in the 'Sunshine Double' remaining doubtful, fans are happy to see their idol hitting the court after a long time.

One fan stated that they were in "disbelief" to see Nadal back on court, writing:

"I just saw this on Ig and thought I was hallucinating and in disbelief of it to be the real Rafael?!?!.. oh my god... (trembling)"

I just saw this on Ig and thought I was hallucinating and in disbelief of it to be the real Rafael?!?! 😭😭😭🤧... oh my god... (trembling) twitter.com/stroppa_del/st…

Another fan expressed their excitement at witnessing the 36-year-old back on court on a snowy day.

"Finally on court again.... on the day that it snows," their tweet read.

Finally on court again.... on the day that it snows. twitter.com/Stroppa_Del/st…

Nadal was "missed," conveyed another user, as they reflected on his practice on the clay courts.

"All is well with the world again! Rafa practising on clay. No more hard court till August! And recovery must be going well. Welcome back @RafaelNadal you were MISSED!!!!," they wrote.

All is well with the world again! Rafa practising on clay. No more hard court till August! And recovery must be going well. Thank you @rnbyhippo22 Welcome back @RafaelNadal you were MISSED!!!! twitter.com/rnbyhippo22/st…

Here are a few other fan reactions:

Shitty Monday but then CLAY. RAFA. LIFE. ❤️ twitter.com/stroppa_del/st…

So we all wake up now 🥳🥳🥳 twitter.com/rnbyhippo22/st…

Yessssss!!! Hola Rafa 👋🏼💜🥰#RafaelNadal𓃵 twitter.com/rnbyhippo22/st…

WOO HOO!!! twitter.com/stroppa_del/st…

Snow and Rafa, is it Christmas already 🤩? #VamosRafa #RafaelNadal twitter.com/rnbyhippo22/st…

😭😭😭 I was slowly loosing it honestly, a sigh of relief twitter.com/Stroppa_Del/st…

His Kingdom is awaiting him 🫡😭 twitter.com/Stroppa_Del/st…

Rafael Nadal is my 'best' and 'biggest' rival on tour, says Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic recently stated that Rafael Nadal is his biggest rival on tour.

Speaking in an interview on Tennis TV ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Djokovic emphasized his unmatched and fierce rivalry with the Spaniard, highlighting their 59 meetings on tour so far.

“Well, best rival that I ever had, biggest rival that I ever had. We played, what, 59 times against each other, I mean, the most that any two players faced each other in the history of the game. I’m happy that we both are challenging the young guns for the biggest titles,” said the World No. 1.

Djokovic has a slender lead over Nadal in the head-to-head stats. He has won on 30 occasions compared to the Spaniard's 29.