Nadal urges caution after first victory in 102 days
Rafael Nadal enjoyed a successful homecoming at the Barcelona Open after 102 days on the sidelines, but questions about his physical state remain.
The 22-time major champion had not played a competitive match since January at the Brisbane Open. Hip and abdominal injuries have affected him ever since, curtailing what is expected to be his farewell season.
After pulling out of last week’s Monte Carlo tournament, the 37-year-old was adamant about returning on the clay in Barcelona, where he has won 12 times and even the main court is named after him.
That supremacy was clear to see, not only in the way he eased back into competitive tennis in a 6-2, 6-3 win, but also in how his 21-year-old Italian opponent, Flavio Cobolli, crumbled in his presence.
But this was far from a flawless outing as, against a stronger player, Nadal’s underpowered serve may well have struggled. Nadal has hardly been able to serve for two months, due to that abdominal injury, and he freely admitted he was holding back against Cobolli.
His first-serve speed averaged 102mph – well below the 117mph tour average and much slower than his own 113mph from the start of the year.
That shot may fare far worse today, when he plays Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who is sixth in the ATP race.
“I’ve gone months without being able to serve, [and] although I’ve got a lot of excitement to play here and do the best I can, I’m not going to go crazy with the serve,” Nadal said. “I have to serve with caution that the moment I’m in dictates.
“For me, the main thing is to have the chance to grow. To do things today that give me the possibility to play better today, but don’t give me the possibility to play the next day or couple of days, in Madrid or Rome, probably will not be smart… it’s going to be work every day to keep discovering what’s the limit, and how much I can push on everything – not only on the serve.”
Nadal said he felt “no pain” but urged caution, including when he heard that Stefanos Tsitsipas, who arrived in Barcelona yesterday fresh from winning his third Monte Carlo title, told the press that he considered the Spaniard to be the favourite. “That’s a stupid answer,” Nadal said bluntly. “I know he says it in respect to what I’ve done at this tournament, but everyone knows I’m not the favourite.”
For Nadal, the main aim is to get through this week without injury.
Balancing that with the fiery competitive spirit he is known for is not a task he has found easy in the past, though. This was his first match on clay in nearly 700 days. In his previous, he claimed his 14th trophy at Roland Garros, in 2022, but he left Paris on crutches after pushing his chronic foot injury to its very limits. The two years that have followed have been brutal, as long months of rehab have been rewarded with very little time on court.
Nadal’s adoring fans in Barcelona were yesterday basking in the joy of their hero’s return. It was by no means a perfect display, but a trademark fist pump and “Vamos!” after pinging a forehand winner down the line was more than enough to delight this eager crowd.
Now with retirement in his sights, he can only hope his body holds up for this final hurrah, especially on the clay. But he will have to fight his instincts to do so.
“Trying to make logical [choices] when you are competing, and competing in places that have been super special emotionally, for me it’s super difficult. Today I was able to manage, because I was more or less in control. Let’s see if I am able to keep managing them tomorrow.”