NADAL TO GO DOWN SWINGING IN SWAN SONG
Rafael Nadal says it is “highly likely” this will be his final summer swing Down Under but the Spanish superstar refuses to talk in absolutes ahead of his long-awaited return from a 12month injury lay-off.
If Aussie tennis fans are on the fence about making the pilgrimage to Brisbane or Melbourne this month to watch the 22-time grand slam champion in action, Nadal’s comments on Sunday ahead of his first round match at the Brisbane International should serve as a warning.
The 37-year-old refused to declare this his Aussie summer swan song but hinted it was unlikely he would return to play next year, given all he went through just to make the court in Brisbane this week.
“The problem about saying that it’s going to be my last season (is) I can’t predict what’s going on 100 per cent,” said Nadal, who has not played an ATP tour match since injuring his hip in a second-round loss at the Australian Open last January. “That’s why I say ‘probably’ – it’s a high percentage (chance) it’s going to be my last time playing in Australia. But if I am here next year, don’t tell me ‘you said it was going to be your last season’, because I didn’t say it.”
A tennis superstar for the better part of two decades, Nadal is arguably the most popular player on the ATP tour and his comeback from a near career-ending injury means millions of eyes will tune in to see him play in Brisbane.
Part of the affable ace’s worldwide appeal – beyond his numerous career titles – was his uber-competitiveness.
Win or lose, Nadal would always leave his all on the court and rivals knew they were in for a serious fight.
But the lethal left-hander revealed “I don’t have the expectations that I used to have” and conceded he did not know how competitive he could truly be until he hit the court.
“I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed it the past 20 years,” he said.