Rafa Nadal has been on a break from tennis over the majority of the past year. The Spanish legend played in the Australia Open in January, when he was dealing with some injuries and lesions. Soon after, Nadal claimed he’d be taking a break over the year, and that he was planning to return to tennis in 2024 to play his last year as a professional player. His uncle and former trainer, Toni Nadal, discussed Rafa’s health and suggested that his retirement may not be as imminent as first stated.

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In an interview with ClayTenis, Toni talked about Rafa’s future as a tennis player and his recovery from his injuries, mainly his hip, which has been bothering him for years. “Rafael is 37 years old and the years are heavy,” he said. “What I know, because I’ve talked to him, is that Rafael wants to come back and wants to recover fully. If he recovers fully, I think he’ll want to keep going.”

Still, Toni made it clear that Rafael’s path forward would be difficult if he’s not fully fit. "After that, we’ll see because he has to get results, which won’t be easy because when you lose your ranking everything becomes more difficult because you have to compete with the best ones faster. So you’ll have to play more days better and you’ll have to play tough games more often,” he said.

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Rafael Nadal is one of the most emblematic tennis players of all time. His retirement will affect the tennis world at large, especially following Roger Federer’s retirement, which concluded one of the best rivalries in the sport.“I think the Federer-Nadal rivalry has been the most incredible, the one that has been able to influence more people in the world,” said Feliciano Lopez, a retired tennis player to ClayTenis.

“Knowing Rafa and watching his career, it’s hard for me to see him enter a tennis court without feeling competitive,” he continued. “If everything goes well, in 2024 we will see him playing well.”

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