Rafael Nadal Refuses to Give up on His Clay-Court Chances as He Enters Familiar Territory Following Monte-Carlo Withdrawal

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Such has been the story of Rafael Nadal over the years. The Spaniard has suffered from injuries for a long time but has made a successful comeback on most occasions. This time too, he plans something similar despite age not being on his side. Following his withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Masters , the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s comeback tournament has been hinted at.

Injuries have played a spoilsport for Nadal this year. While he made a brief comeback earlier this season, he was sidelined again due to a muscle tear. But his fans have a glimmer of hope as he is set to make a comeback soon.

Is Rafael Nadal set to return to Barcelona?

Before the beginning of the clay-court season, Nadal was confident that he would play the entire season on red soil. However, just days before the start of the Monte Carlo Masters, the season’s first Masters tournament on clay, he announced his withdrawal from the tournament. Subsequently, Nadal plans to travel to Barcelona tomorrow and train on the Godó slopes to reappear, as confirmed by the Twitter handle of a famous Spanish podcast SER Deportivos.

Despite pulling out from the tournament in Monaco, Nadal hasn’t given up on training and the hope of making a clay-court comeback in the upcoming tournaments. Nadal plans to return to the Barcelona Open, where he is an 11-time champion. The ATP 500 tournament takes place next week and if this is true, it would be a welcome update for Nadal’s fans, who have been waiting for his comeback for a long time.

Earlier this year, Nadal made his retirement plans clear. He revealed that this season will potentially be his final year on the ATP Tour. Additionally, Roger Federer’s absence from the tour has affected Nadal, which he candidly confessed recently.

Nadal admits Roger Federer was an ‘important part’ of his career

The two formed an epic rivalry of over two decades that was cherished by many fans all across the globe. However, Federer retired in 2022 with Nadal by his side at the Laver Cup. As a result, not only have the fans missed the duo but also Nadal.

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He said , “ First of all [I was] emotional because probably the most elegant player that I ever saw left the tour. Second, as I said before, a part of my life left with him. ”

However, Nadal also went on to reveal that his retirement decision had nothing to do with Federer’s absence. Nadal is 37 now and time is running out for him. Thus, he will hope to make a comeback soon and have one last laugh before he calls time on his glorious career.