Rafael Nadal Is Ready to Play Again. In America. On Hard Courts. Should He?

For greater than a month, the smoke indicators out of Rafael Nadal’s camp have stored the tennis global on its feet, sparking predictions of the whole thing from a triumphant spring at the purple clay of Paris to him by no means enjoying some other aggressive fit following but some other hip damage in Australia in January. 

The most effective factor that gave the impression transparent used to be that the 22-time Grand Slam champion used to be prioritizing the clay court docket season in Europe this spring. Nadal stated as a lot in January when he returned following a year-long layoff as a result of hip surgical procedure. 

Sure, he used to be satisfied to be again and competing in Australia, the place he gained the yr’s first Grand Slam as lately as 2022, however he used to be singularly curious about being in best shape — or, no less than, as shut as he can get to it at this level — in 3 months when the purple clay tournaments start in earnest. 

That used to be a part of why he skipped the Australian Open as soon as he suffered a small muscle tear close to his hip 3 suits into his newest comeback. Logic urged Nadal would wait till tennis returned to the natural surfaces which can be a ways much less taxing at the frame and the place an growing older, injury-prone participant like Nadal, who’s 37 and performs probably the most bodily taste of tennis, would have the most efficient probability of staying wholesome. 

Few have been shocked when he introduced this month on social media that he used to be pulling out of a hard-court event in Doha. It used to be the second one sentence of that submit that stuck some off-guard. 

“I will focus on keep working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament,” Nadal wrote on Valentine’s Day.

That can be an MGM Resorts exhibition fit in opposition to the 20-year-old Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz this weekend in Las Vegas, which can be streamed on Netflix, after which the BNP Paribas Open in within sight Indian Wells, California, which starts subsequent week.

Now that struck some as ordinary. Still, there used to be a variety of time for him to tug out of the ones occasions and spend some other few weeks in Spain getting ready for the clay.

And then, final week, Novak Djokovic posted an image of him and Nadal at the identical flight as Nadal made his method to the United States. “Vamos”, Djokovic wrote. Game on — no less than, in concept. 

Great corporate on easy methods to USA 🇺🇸 😎💪🎾 @RafaelNadal #idemooo #vamos @atptour #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/UDB13mp4Ux

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) February 23, 2024

The query, even though, is why? 

“If he is fit, he wants to play,” his longtime spokesman, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, stated on Monday. “He is a tennis player and wants to play at the biggest tournaments. And he loves Indian Wells.”

As Patrick McEnroe, the commentator and previous participant calling the fit in opposition to Alcaraz, identified, Nadal steadily flourishes at the sluggish demanding courts of Indian Wells, the place he has gained thrice and made the finals on two different events.

Injuries in exhibitions are extraordinarily uncommon, however will an exhibition and a hard-court event in March, even one Nadal loves up to Indian Wells, strengthen his possibilities of being have compatibility sufficient to compete for the identify on the French Open in May and June, the place he has gained 14 instances and there’s a statue of him swatting his bull-whip forehand out of doors the principle stadium? In contemporary years, Nadal has close himself down after Indian Wells for more or less 3 weeks to start out honing his timing and conditioning for 2 months of clay court docket tennis, the place the timing and magnificence of play are markedly other from demanding courts.  

Welcome again, champ 👋

📷: @RafaelNadal | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/oVdoxv5JH0

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) February 26, 2024

The elephant within the room this is cash.

It’s all the time uncomfortable to depend other folks’s cash, to signify what will have to be sufficient. That is particularly the case with skilled athletes, whose careers are in most cases over through 40 and who’ve grown acquainted with a undeniable way of life.

That stated, Nadal has gained greater than $134million in prize cash all the way through his 20-plus-year profession. He has accrued tens of thousands and thousands, perhaps extra, in sponsorship and look charges. Terms of his take care of MGM and MGM’s take care of Netflix don’t seem to be public, however he’s prone to accumulate no less than $1million for the Alcaraz fit given how a lot he and different gamers of his caliber have earned for enjoying an identical occasions

Nadal gained’t obtain an look rate to play at Indian Wells, since this is a obligatory event for wholesome gamers. He has different incentives. Larry Ellison, the billionaire founding father of Oracle who owns the event, has grow to be a chum and hosts Nadal at his personal lodge. 

There, Nadal can pursue his different interest — golfing. He has been identified to play 18 and even 36 holes an afternoon all the way through his time within the wilderness and he’s already been out at the hyperlinks in California.

(Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

It’s a just right lifestyles. The query is whether or not he’s risking the clay season, the place he most probably has his easiest probability to win a twenty third Grand Slam singles identify. Nadal would most probably attempt to push aside that considering or the rest that would possibly recommend he’s some more or less clay court docket specialist. 

“I think it’s fine,” stated Paul Annacone, the longtime trainer (Roger Federer, Taylor Fritz) and commentator. “He’s in California practicing already, getting acclimated. So the only issue is if he’s not 100 percent.  Then don’t go. But I don’t think he’d be here in California if he wasn’t close to 100 percent and ready for Indian Wells.”

Days after pulling out of Doha, Nadal posted a video of himself working towards sluggish provider returns with the caption, “Work in progress.” There had been extra movies since he arrived in Indian Wells, however no pictures of the rest drawing near intense. 

All of this has most effective added to the bigger thriller surrounding when Nadal would possibly name it quits for just right. Last yr, no longer lengthy after his hip surgical procedure, he urged that 2024 can be his final season and function one of those farewell excursion as he visited the tournaments and towns that had intended probably the most to him all the way through his profession.

Then he confirmed flashes of his previous self all the way through his 3 suits in Australia and were given a style of the contest he craves. He has no longer dedicated to any hard-and-fast timetable since, insisting he takes it day-to-day.

The Olympic Games event will happen at Roland Garros this summer time, the website online of the French Open. There have been hypothesis that would possibly function his walk-off. Then he signed a deal to function an envoy with Saudi Arabia’s tennis federation and to play in an exhibition in Riyadh in October with Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune. That atmosphere would appear to be an ordinary selection for his ultimate suits. 

The Davis Cup finals will happen in Spain one month later. Perhaps then?  That is, assuming he could make it that a ways with out some other severe damage.

For now, and for higher or for worse, he has a large payday in Las Vegas and a tough court docket event (and a variety of golfing) within the California wilderness to concentrate on.

(Top picture: William West/AFP by the use of Getty Images)