Tennis‘s most famous uncle, Toni Nadal, provided an update on his nephew Rafael Nadal in the weeks leading up to Roland Garros which starts on May 22, 2023.
Uncle Toni used to coach his nephew so he knows his personality and his game better than anyone.
Tennis fans have been on edge wondering when Rafa will be back on the court.
We have not seen him since January when he suffered a hip injury at the Australian Open.
That forced him to pull out of the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami Open) and all of the clay court warmup tournaments to date (Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelone Open).
The King of Clay is working very hard to get healthy because his tournament, the French Open also known as Roland Garros, is expecting him to be back to defend his title and go for an astonishing 15th title.
What Uncle Toni Is Saying
Uncle Toni said that he spoke with Rafa on Saturday, April 15.
He said that Rafa is not returning to tennis until he feels 100% healthy.
Uncle Toni mentioned that Rafa did not feel completely healthy at the Australian Open.
It is not clear if he means that Rafa had health issues at the tournament before the hip injury happened.
Toni Nadal on Rafa Roland Garros: “I spoke with him Saturday & he will only come back if he’s in good condition 100%. He played Australian Open without feeling his best. He wants to feel very good. For now we must wait. But he still has the mindset to try to win another time.” pic.twitter.com/FDYyzgByVZ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 19, 2023
This Makes Sense
What Uncle Toni said makes a lot of sense as it lines up with what Rafa has been saying as he continues to withdraw from tournaments.
When he pulled out of the Barcelona Open, he said:
“Barcelona is a special tournament for me, because it is my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling. I am still not ready and, therefore, I continue my preparation process for the return to competition.”
Rafa knows his body well and has dealt with numerous injuries so he needs to decide when he feels ready.
The flip side of that is that he is getting older.
He will turn 37 years old during Roland Garros (June 3) so his opportunities to defend this title are going to be fewer going forward.
If he misses it in 2023, will he come back in 2024 if he gets healthier over the next year?
We will have to wait and see.
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