RAF DIAMOND LOCKDOWN HAS GIVEN ME TWO MORE YEARS AT THE TOP
Nadal sickened by the ‘terrible’ events in America and insists he would not travel to the United States in the current climate
HIS enforced break from tennis, due to Covid-19, has set up Rafa Nadal for another two years at the top – despite the Spaniard turning 34 two days ago.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion (serving, above) was unable to pick up a racket for two months as he had to go into lockdown in his apartment in Mallorca – which did not even have a garden for him to train in.
But in a week in which he would otherwise have been expecting to dominate all before him on his way to yet another French Open title, he insisted that he was good for another two years.
“My mind was not able to think about tennis,” he said. “I was thinking about the health of the people and the worldwide pandemic we’re suffering.
“I have not got a tennis court at my home – I live in an apartment, so I have only been able to play tennis for the last two weeks.
“I am taking things step by step and the main thing is to avoid injuries.
“I think the longer stops are tougher on the body for the older boys than the younger ones. But, at the same time, we have experience and I know how best to prepare.
“But long-term, I hope to go back on tour and play for another couple of years, hopefully.”
DARTS GLORY... BUT NOT AGAIN, THANKS!
RAFA NADAL is dismayed by the “terrible things” happening in America and insists he would not play the US Open in the current climate.
“If you asked me want to travel today to New
York to
if
Iplay a tennis tournament, I will say, ‘No, I will not’,” he said.
Instead, the tennis legend and favourite player of President Trump called for calm following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week.
With the civil unrest flaring up alongside the coronavirus pandemic, he questioned whether tennis should even be considered with the US Open still set to become the first Grand Slam of the year at the end of August.
The Spaniard joined Roger Federer and other sports stars in posting a black square on Twitter to mark “Blackout Tuesday” in support of minority rights. “All the people who want a peaceful and good world, we are against racism, poverty, all the terrible stuff happening more often than we would like,” he added.
“When you see all these disasters on the streets, these terrible things, my feeling is that is not the way to protest. That’s not a good example.
“The situation is critical, but I believe strongly in people and that we will be able to fix the problems.
“Everything takes time. All the improvements in our story, the human story, have taken time, but we are getting there in all ways – for everybody to have the same opportunities, the same rights.
“Of course it’s not enough. Of course we have to keep working hard to make this world a better place, but the situation is what it is. Violence and pandemics like this today create a difficult atmosphere for the world.
“It’s important to stay calm, to respect everyone, to live in peace. I respect every single opinion and thing that avoids violence.
“There is nothing more important than health and living in peace and today we have not got those two things.”
Nevertheless, soon we will have tennis again and Nadal fears there is an unseemly haste to get the sport going.
In particular, the 12-time French Open champion criticised that tournament’s authorities for shoehorning their event into the fortnight after the US Open without consultation.
“I just received the notification that they wanted to move the dates 10 minutes before they made their announcement,” he added.
“I encouraged them to speak to the ATP and work together because the situation is difficult. Just by themselves it is difficult to fix the calendar.
“I admire the French because they are positive. But today is not one to make your mark.”