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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 03: (L-R) Toni Nadal and Rafael Nadal of Spain chat during a practice session ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 3, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 03: (L-R) Toni Nadal and Rafael Nadal of Spain chat during a practice session ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 3, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal suffered a shocking defeat in the semi-finals of the French Open 2021 to Novak Djokovic. The master of clay was reportedly troubled by a lingering foot injury and decided to end his 2021 season after being eliminated from Washington Open in the US.
In a recent podcast appearance, Rafael Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal has shared some positive news regarding Nadal’s foot injury. He says he’s optimistic and believes the Spaniard has still has got 2-3 good years left.
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Toni Uncle affirms news regarding Rafael Nadal
2021 hasn’t been a vintage year for Rafa. The 35-year-old got off to a good start at the Australian Open 2021. However, Stefanos Tsitsipas stunned the Spaniard in the quarter-finals of the event. When the clay-court season came around, Nadal looked in good form, winning a few titles in the build-up to Roland Garros. In the French Open, he cruised to the semi-finals of the tournament. In the semi-final, however, Novak Djokovic, who looked adamant, defeated the 20-time Grand Slam champion in a four-set thriller.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 03: Rafael Nadal of Spain discusses tatics with his coach Toni Nadal during a practice session prior to the start of ATP World Tour Finals Tennis at O2 Arena on November 3, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Recently on a podcast, Toni Nadal revealed some encouraging news regarding his nephew’s injury. He said, “His progression has always been highly conditioned by the congenital foot injury, which he now suffers. That is why everything he has achieved has a lot of merit.”
Moreover, he added, “He is encouraged and I think he will get through this once again. I am optimistic and my feeling is that 2022 can be a good season for him and that he has 2 or 3 good years left, but as time progresses everything is more complicated,” concluded his former coach, Toni.
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The ‘Big 3’ will fight for their 21st Grand Slam title at Australian Open 2022
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerlan wait to go on stage during the ATP Heritage Celebration at The Waldorf=Astoria on in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
While Rafael Nadal looks in good shape and hopes to return, Roger Federer has also confirmed that his recovery is going well. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic is currently taking rest and has withdrawn from Indian Wells.
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Currently, The Big Three i.e. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are tied at 20 Grand Slam titles each. It would be really entertaining to see if the giants can face off at the Australian Open 2022 for the historic feat.
ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal Receives Prestigious Award From Spain’s National Police For COVID-19 Efforts
