Nadal on track for Aussie assault
SPANISH legend Rafael Nadal is back training after contracting Covid-19 and set to fly to Melbourne to compete in next week’s ATP 250 tournament.
The 20-time grand slam champion and 2009 Australian Open winner’s arrival date is still to be confirmed, but he is certain to make the trip.
Nadal, who is fully vaccinated, last played on the tour in Washington in August before prematurely ending his season because of a foot injury.
He was on track for the Australian Open when he played in this month’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, only to reveal afterwards he had tested positive to Covid-19.
Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov, Ons Jabeur and Belinda Bencic also picked up the virus after competing in the Abu Dhabi exhibition, while Emma Raducanu withdrew beforehand.
There was fear at the time that Nadal may join the list of significant player withdrawals for the Australian Open.
But Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley eased those concerns last week, saying he was “confident” Nadal would recover in time after speaking with his team.
That optimism looks on the money now after Nadal completed a hard-hitting session on Wednesday with promising teenage countryman Daniel Rincon, the world’s No.2 junior.
With Roger Federer already out of the grand slam event and serious doubts on Novak Djokovic, Nadal’s arrival in Australia ahead of the tennis summer would be a major boost.
Like Djokovic, Nadal would move into the outright lead in grand slam men’s singles titles if he triumphs at Melbourne Park for a second time.
Retired countryman David Ferrer, a former world No.3, said in recent days he believed Nadal had a genuine chance to win the 2022 Australian Open title. Speaking during the Abu Dhabi event, Nadal revealed that further grand slam success was what drove him rather than solely enjoyment or making more money.
“I still believe that I will be competitive enough to give myself chances to compete for the things that I have been competing for the last 15 years,” Nadal said.
“If not, personally, it doesn’t make sense (to continue).
“I am not playing at all for money or just for fun; I am playing to keep achieving goals or at least to enjoy the process to try to achieve my goals.
“If then you don’t achieve, it’s fine, but the motivation and the passion are still there.”
Along with his 2009 Australian Open title, Nadal was runner-up four times.