Watch: Rafael Nadal steps up the recovery process, trains hard on clay

Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was recently spotted practicing on clay. The Spanish athlete is currently recovering from the injury he incurred in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open against Mackenzie McDonald.

Nadal picked up an abdominal strain in Melbourne, similar to the one he suffered at Wimbledon and then aggravated at the US Open in 2022. As a result, he was forced to withdraw from the Dubai Tennis Championships as well as the Qatar Open.

He later announced his withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, an event he has won three times in the past.

Amid all of this, a video that appeared on Twitter on Tuesday, March 7, that showed the Spaniard practicing on a clay court. He was seen working on his footwork while also striking crisp backhands and forehands.

Check out the video here:

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"In the end, you have to accept things as they come" - Rafael Nadal on 18 year-long top-10 streak coming to an end

Rafael Nadal pictured at the 2023 Australian Open - Day 3.

With Taylor Fritz's run to the semi-finals at Acapulco last week, Rafael Nadal will officially drop out of the Top 10 after Indian Wells on March 20. That means the ATP rankings' longest ever top 10 streak will come to an end.

In a recent interview with Punto de Break, the Spaniard stated that while he would "prefer" to be inside the top 10, he must simply "accept" things as they happen.

"I prefer to be in the top-10, it's obvious, but in the end, you have to accept things as they come," he said.

Given all the injuries he's had over the last 18 years, Rafael Nadal said it was a "miracle" that he hadn't dropped out of the top 10 sooner.

"With all the injuries I've had over the last 18 years, not having left the top-10 at any occasion is practically a miracle," he said.

"A time has come when a lot has happened in the last year: a broken rib, two abdominal tears, now the psoas, foot problems. There are many things that, in tennis, with a ranking that lasts a year. You know if you don't play, you're out of the top-10," he added.

Rafael Nadal is expected to make a comeback at the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters if he is fully fit, but the Spaniard has not confirmed his participation yet.