Rafael Nadal is finding it tough to hit his stride this year, battling to maintain his form on the court. The pressure is on as he gets ready for the Olympics in Paris, and the bar is raised. However, Coco Gauff‘s legendary coach, Brad Gilbert, has delivered Rafael Nadal’s supporters a sobering reality check by speculating that the famous player would never again achieve his former heights of dominance.

The last few years have not been great for the 37-year-old tennis player, as after struggling with a lot of injuries, he has been trying hard to make a successful comeback at every other tournament. However, looking into his condition and the rising retirement possibilities, the American tennis coach recently talked about how far he thinks the Spaniard has left to go.

He said, “You know, he’s probably never going to reach his best level again, but I think more than anything, all athletes want to be able to go out on their own terms.” Along with that, while the Olympics can be the big stage for the 22-time Grand Slam champion to revive his career on clay, Gilbert made it clear that his peak level has probably already passed.

Further, the coach added, “They want to be and decide that you know what maybe it’s time for me to stop so he’s had so much you know you know injuries over the last two years that he probably hasn’t had a period where he’s really felt healthy and so that’s what he wants to know more than anything, before he stops what his game is like when he’s fully healthy.”

In order to avoid transitioning between clay and grass and then clay again, Rafael Nadal strategically decided to forego Wimbledon to go straight from the French Open to Paris Olympics, both taking place at Roland Garros. He will partner with Carlos Alcaraz, a young talent who is currently on a high after winning back-to-back major titles at the All England Club and Roland Garros. But before that, he’s warning up at the Sweden Open after close to 20 years, partnering with Norwegian Casper Ruud.

While this successful do has reached the semis, Nadal knows his physical struggles have been holding him back. He said in a previous interview, “My body has been a jungle for two years. You don’t know what to expect. I wake up one day and I (felt like I had) a snake biting me. Another day, a tiger.”

However, even though everything is against the former world number one, his friend and arch-rival, Roger Federer, believes that things can change for better, and he can make a stronger come back.

Roger Federer believes in Rafael Nadal’s comeback

Federer is optimistic about Nadal’s comeback, having made a profound disclosure a few months ago. He expressed his sympathy for his old friend, stating, “I felt sad for him that he has not been able to play nearly as much or at all to what he wanted to do.”

The Swiss legend added, “I hope that he can do what he wants to do in the summer, because even though I have a good feeling for him, and I know he pulled out of Indian Wells and Doha and all that stuff, but I still am very hopeful that he can get back on the train and ride it.”

Despite their intense rivalry on the tennis court, Federer and Nadal maintained a solid rapport off of it. As Federer partnered with Rafael Nadal in the later part of his career for more doubles, their mutual respect for one another surpassed rivalry. Although he may now have hung up his racquet, Federer’s desire to see his old friend reach even greater heights in his return journey is evident in his optimism for Nadal’s continued rise in the sport.