2023 has been a thrilling tennis one.
Though it is not officially over yet, we can safely say there was a missing piece.
It was that Rafael Nadal was out for the majority of the year dealing with a hip injury.
The fact that Nadal was not healthy enough to defend his French Open title and go for his 15th win at Roland Garros was the biggest disappointment of the year.
His latest training video shows us just how hard he is working to make it back in 2024 for what presumably could be his farewell year on the ATP Tour.
We know that Rafa will not come back unless he feels healthy and competitive, and we also know he is a hard worker on and off the court to get his body ready.
The video just underscores all of this.
Un día más, un día menos 😍
🎥 @RafaelNadal (IG) pic.twitter.com/u12XKN5lxh
— ATP Tour en Español (@ATPTour_ES) November 14, 2023
He is logging time in the gym and on the practice courts.
And thankfully he is allowing video to be released getting fans jazzed for his return.
Here he is working on the serve.
💪 Rafael Nadal slowly, but surely, getting back the serve, on his long-awaited return from injury
📸 Coleman Wong IG pic.twitter.com/EDfwTNTwBJ
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) November 7, 2023
Here he is hitting the backhand down the line that we have missed this year.
📈 Intensity increasing for Rafael Nadal at practice!
(🎥 @babolat) pic.twitter.com/VRCE3GIkmv
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) November 9, 2023
Nadal has said that fans should not expect him to be in Grand Slam winning shape; however, he is not the type of player or competitor who will come back if he does not believe he can win a Grand Slam at Roland Garros and/or potentially some matches at the 2024 Paris Olympics which will also be played at Roland Garros.
No one wants to wish away time, but one big perk for when the calendar turns to 2024 is that we get to see Rafael Nadal on the tennis court again, and I, for one, can hardly wait.
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