Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal is set for yet another record-setting tournament. Nadal overcame odds to win a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev and captured his 21st slam at the Australian Open. He is one of the favorites for the on-going Indian Wells tournament as well. The “epic” comeback in the final capped his relentless efforts behind the scenes.
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Rafael Nadal reveals his injury time and posts injury targets
Talking about his injury, Nadal explained the struggles he had to go through and revealed how difficult was it to make a comeback this season.
“After Roland Garros, I couldn’t walk for two weeks. Then I was not ready to go to Washington or Toronto but I wanted to try. But the two months of training before that were terrible. I tried to stay as positive as possible and that is it. We didn’t practice running or movement work.”
His participation in this year’s inaugural Grand slam was questionable in the beginning but the final result proved that Nadal is here to stay and is not willing to bow down any time soon.
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 31, 2022 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the men’s singles final with trophy REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Ahead of his opening round match-up against Sebastian Korda in Indian Wells, the Spaniard detailed the importance of winning the ‘happy slam’.
“Winning [at the Australian Open] was so important. But being competitive and enjoying the competition was what was so emotional for me, being able to play in a huge stadium with fans again.”
If Nadal wins Indian Wells, it will be his 37th Masters crown and a fourth Indian Wells victory. Also, the Spaniard will extend his winning streak to 22-0. Even though there are tough opponents in the draw, looking at the current form of Rafael Nadal, it’s evident that he is the clear favorite.
