Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Gets Real About Rafael Nadal’s Imminent Comeback to Assess His Chances of Achieving Glory

Rafael Nadal sent the world into a frenzy when he announced his return in 2024. The Spaniard has everyone speculating about the possible trajectory of his final season, and everyone is sharing their opinions. A former coach of Serena Williams also chimed in and talked about what needs to happen for it to be a great year for him. 

Along with him, Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ childhood coach, has also extensively talked about his return. But unlike others, he discussed the sole advantage Rafa possesses as he is ready to play again in the next season. 

Criteria for a good year for Rafael Nadal

Patrick Mouratoglou is a French coach who has gained immense expertise during his time with Serena Williams. He recently appeared on the ‘Game To Love – Tennis Podcast’ where he talked about Nadal’s much-awaited comeback. When asked about what would comprise a good year for him, he quickly said, “Winning Roland Garros.” 

“I mean, he’s not someone who plays to not win Grand Slams. A good season for him. He has to win a grand slam. I think if he wins anything else than Roland Garros, it will be a big surprise, and it will be a huge achievement for him, but I think, yeah, his tournament is Roland Garros this is not to be proven anymore for a long time, and I think he definitely has a chance it will depend a lot on his physical.” 

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Mouratoglou further said that he needs to get a good quality of training to win tournaments. He added his voice to the possibilities in the final season of Rafa. Before him, Rick Macci, the legendary American coach, talked about his sole advantage as he is set to return.

Rick Macci on Rafa’s sole advantage

In an exclusive with EssentiallySports, Macci discussed the return of the King of Clay as he is ready to set the world on fire for one last season. As he was absent for the 2023 season, his current ranking is 668. However, he will manage to play in big tournaments because of his protected ranking and because he is Rafael Nadal. The latter is the sole advantage for him as he looks to get matches under his belt.

Macci further elaborated that the main difficulty will arise due to seeding. Since Rafa is far away from the top 100, he won’t be seeded in any tournament. Therefore, the only way he can go far in championships is by making sure he is healthy. Now, we have to wait for the next season to see if their words will come true.

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