Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni gives an update on Spaniard's fitness and French Open 2023 participation
Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni has disclosed that the Spaniard intends to return to action only when he feels fully fit.
Nadal has had a torrid time with injuries since an abdominal tear forced him to withdraw from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships ahead of his semifinal clash with Nick Kyrgios. The 36-year-old has won just four times in nine matches since the grass Slam last year.
Nadal has struggled during his 2023 campaign too. At the inaugural United Cup, he lost both his matches, to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur respectively. Later, at the Australian Open, the former World No. 1 beat Jack Draper before losing to Mackenzie McDonald in the Round of 64.
Nadal has not been in action since the Melbourne Major, and recently announced his decision to withdraw from the ongoing Barcelona Open. His uncle Toni has now stated, while speaking on RMC's Bartoli Time, that the 22-time Grand Slam champion will return to the court only when he is fully fit.
“I spoke with him on Saturday. And he will only come back if he is in good condition, 100%. He knows that otherwise it will not be good for him. He played the Australian Open without being on top. I think he wants to feel very good. He would like to arrive at Roland‐Garros with confidence and a good physique. For now, we have to wait. But he still has the mind to try to win another time,” Toni Nadal said.
He also stated that his nephew hopes to take part in the French Open, where he is the defending champion.
“I have said many times about Rafa that even if he does not arrive in very good conditions, when he enters the Philippe‐Chatrier court, everything changes,” Toni Nadal added. “He needs a few not-too-difficult matches to ramp up. I know Zverev, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Rune, Rublev are very strong. But with his mind, I also know that Rafa can win. I want to think the same this year.”
With this year's Roland Garros scheduled to get underway on May 28, the Spaniard has a little over a month to regain his desired fitness. As of now, he is expected to take part in the Madrid Masters, which begins on April 26, and then the Italian Open.
Despite injuries sidelining him, Rafael Nadal tops social media value charts on men's tour
According to a rankings list released by Novak Djokovic's Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), Rafael Nadal has topped the valuation charts of players’ social media presence on the ATP tour for 2022.
The 36-year-old was ranked first with a staggering $29.3 million worth of earned media value. Among social media posts, his emotional retirement message to Roger Federer ranked highest with a social value worth $1,503,020.