"I don't think Rafael Nadal's expectations for Melbourne are sky-high, his goal has to be Roland Garros and then the Olympics": Boris Becker

Boris Becker doesn't expect Rafael Nadal to hit the ground running in his comeback from a nearly year-long layoff due to a hip injury.

Nadal was last in action at the Australian Open last year, where his title defense was ended by Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. The 37-year-old is set to return to the tour at the Brisbane International.

With Nadal out of action for almost a year, Becker reckons the Spaniard will have modest expectations in his first few tournaments. Speaking to Eurosport Germany's Das Gelbe vom Ball podcast, he said:

“I don't think his expectations for Melbourne are sky-high right now: if he wins a few matches there, good for him."

Becker added that Nadal's main focus of the season will be the claycourt swing, especially Roland Garros, followed by the Olympics on the Parisian clay.

“He will then concentrate on the clay-court tournaments early on. He'll definitely play Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and maybe even Rome in order to be 100 percent fit again in Paris," Becker said.

“His goal has to be Roland Garros, and then the Olympics, both of which will be played in Paris on clay. But he has to play first: he will only gain match fitness and match practice by playing in matches. So, he has to suffer a little so that he gets better in March, April, until he can play his best game in May,” he added.

Nadal, who has hinted that 2024 could be his final year on tour, has slipped to No. 666 in the rankings, having played only four matches in 2023. This is his lowest ranking in 20 years, dating back to when he was No. 771 in June 2003.

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"I expect Djokovic to win a Grand Slam or two in 2024" - Boris Becker on Rafael Nadal's Big-3 rival Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic (right)

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the only two active players of men's tennis' famed big-3, with Roger Federer retiring last year.

While the Spaniard struggled this year with injuries, Djokovic continued to age like fine wine, enjoying a stellar year. The World No. 1 reached all four Grand Slam finals, winning three of them, and took home a record seventh ATP Finals title as well as two more at the Masters 1000 level.

Becker expects more dominance from the Serb in 2024 despite the emergence of the young brigade led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He said in the aforementioned podcast:

“I think the best thing that can happen for the tennis scene as a whole is for Djokovic to remain strong and for the younger generation to come closer.

"In other words, I still expect Djokovic to win a Grand Slam or two. But I also believe that Alcaraz and co. will more often throw a spanner in the works."

Djokovic won a record 24th Grand Slam singles title in 2023, at the US Open, closing the year with a 56-7 record.