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Rafael Nadal will return to tennis after a near year-long break at the start of the next season. The Spainard has struggled with a hip injury for months and has not played competitively since the Australian Open in January this year.
The longer his absence from the tour has gotten, the more doubts have been raised about his chances of making a strong return.
Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci is the latest to pitch in his two cents on Nadal’s comeback, saying it is unlikely that the Spaniard will be able to play at the same level as he did prior to the injury.
Macci, during an interview with Tennis Infinity, started his belief that earlier, Nadal would walk away with the win more often than not, especially on clay. He highlighted the Spaniard’s stellar 112-3 record at the French Open to point out how most of his matches were foregone conclusions.
However, Macci doesn't believe that the same will be the case when he returns in 2024 and does not see him as a viable contender for Grand Slams again.
“Where before against Rafael Nadal, he's 112-3 on clay [at Roland Garros],” Rick Macci said. “The match was over before it even started. You knew you weren’t gonna beat the guy more than likely.”
“So that being said, I wish Rafa all the best, but he's not at the exact same level he was before so I don't think he’s a contender to win a Slam,” he added.
Notably, Nadal has won a record 14 titles at the French Open, the last of which came at last year’s tournament.
“It depends on his health” - Serena Williams’ former coach on Rafael Nadal’s ability to push top names
Rick Macci took note of the extremely competitive nature of the ATP Tour in the same interview, saying that there is not much that separates the top names and the players from the next tier.
Circling back to Rafael Nadal’s injury woes, Macci emphasized that a player is anyway bound to lose some mobility with age, which makes them more vulnerable.
“As far as Rafael Nadal coming back, as you get older, you lose a little mobility and people aren't afraid when they know you're vulnerable,” Rick Macci said. “There's not that much difference between the guys at the top and then the next tier, and when they know they have a chance, that's a whole different thing, even on clay.”
He conceded that Nadal, if he managed to stay healthy, was still capable of winning big against most players on clay.
“I think he can be competitive and I think he's a rough out for anybody on clay, but it depends on his health,” he added.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
