The Spanish tennis player admitted that he was afraid to announce his return to the courts because of the long period of non-competition that his recovery required.
Rafael Nadal, who announced last week his return to official competition at the ATP 250 in Brisbane (Australia), which takes place in the first week of January, stated this Monday that, “after a year of not competing, the most worrying thing is not the hip but everything else.”
Nadal spoke about his personal feelings after announcing his return to the courts after a year out of competition due to injuries.
“Me and I’m afraid to announce things because at the end it’s a year without competing and it’s a hip operation, but what worries me the most is not the hip but everything else. I think I’m ready and I’m confident and I hope things go well and it gives me a chance to enjoy the court again,” Nadal said in a video posted on his social networks.
“In the end it was a long time. I hope I can feel the nerves again, the excitement, the fears, the doubts… I hope I don’t expect anything. I hope to have the ability to not ask of myself what I have asked of myself throughout my career. I was in a different time, situation and uncharted territory. “All my life I’ve pushed myself to the top and I hope I don’t make it.”he admitted.
“I have to accept that things are going to be very difficult in the beginning. I have to give myself the necessary time and forgive myself if I make a mistake in the beginning, which is a huge possibility. But know that there may be a not-too-distant future where things can change if I keep up the enthusiasm, the work ethic and the body responds to me.” he concluded.
Rafa Nadal announced his return to tennis
The Spanish tennis player, 37 years old and winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, confirmed it on his social networks with an emotional video. There are photos of his last official game against Mackenzie McDonald, in which he injured his iliopsoas, and the subsequent press conference where he talked about how he would fight to avoid retirement.
“After a year, the time has come to return. It will be in Brisbane, in the first week of January. See you there”said Rafa, who underwent hip surgery in the middle of the year and will receive a special invitation to participate in the Australian Open as he is currently ranked 663 in the world.
Source: Tycsports
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
