Rafael Nadal’s Promising Return Diminished by Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach as She Gives Deadline for the Inevitable

Previously, the tennis world was wondering when the King would make his comeback. But now, he has made his comeback, playing his first competitive singles match in nearly 350 days. Fans have started wondering how long Rafael Nadal can last in what is supposed to be his last season on tour.

And, answering that question recently, Serena Williams‘ former coach came up with a prediction. The 52-year-old Australian coach and former player, Rennae Stubbs, recently suspected Rafael Nadal would bid his farewell to tennis well before the US Open. Let’s take a deeper dive into Stubb’s take on Nadal’s run in 2024.

Serena Williams’ ex-coach gives her prediction for Rafael Nadal’s comeback season.

The 37-year-old Spaniard had an outstanding run throughout his career, clinching 92 singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam triumphs. But an injury at the 2023 Australian Open put a question mark in the minds of his fans. Will we ever see Nadal back again at the biggest stages of the game?

Well, even after going under the knife last year in June, he didn’t give up. Nadal slowly and steadily picked up his intensity in the training and worked his way through to appear at the 2024 Brisbane International. But can he play in all the major events this year? Here’s what Rennae Stubbs said about this in her podcast.

“He (Rafa) still plays great on grass. Clearly, he’s won Wimbledon, you know, a couple of times. I think he would like to, you know, I think he’d probably like the, the chance to play there one more time as well. But I suspect that the Olympics will probably be his last tournament,” Stubbs.

Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place from 26 July and will last till 11 August this year. The US Open is set to commence just after 15 days of the end of this mega event. But before that, there is a lot more to come for the Spaniard. And, Rafael Nadal has already set the ball rolling in Australia. 

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Nadal makes a stellar comeback to kick-start his preparations for the Australian Open

After being out of action in competitive tennis for almost a year, Rafael Nadal makes a remarkable comeback in his first singles clash against one of his familiar rivals, Dominic Thiem. The Spaniard beat the Australian by a 7-5,6-1 margin in an 89-minute encounter at the Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday. With this win, he has now moved into the Round of 16, where he’ll face the Australian tennis player, Jason Kubler, in tomorrow’s matchup. Did he look rusty?

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Well, a simple answer to this is a big no. Rafael Nadal won 90% of his first serve and lost just three points on his second serve, hitting about 12 winners in the match. He is competing in the Brisbane International after a gap of almost 7 years. How long can he make his run in the event this year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.