“I don’t deserve to end up like this”: Rafael Nadal returns to the tour at the beginning of January after a long injury break
Tennis star Rafael Nadal returns to the tour at the beginning of January after a long injury break. As the 22-time Grand Slam winner from Spain announced in a social media video on Friday, he will be competing at the ATP tournament in Brisbane (December 31 to January 7).
“After a year without competing, it’s time for a return,” said Nadal. In an emotional clip, he combined a message aimed directly at the fans with a challenge he made at a press conference some time ago: “I don’t deserve to end up like this. I’ve always worked hard so that my end doesn’t come here at a press conference. I’m working hard to make sure my career ends the right way. “
Rafael Nadal sets his sights on the Australian Open
Where Nadal will begin his final mission is now clear: he is also planning to compete in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne (from January 14). He was injured there in the second round at the beginning of the year and has been struggling with hip problems ever since.
However, he recently warned against expecting too much: “We know that the pain will never go away,” he said: “I won’t win any more Grand Slams than Djokovic, but I will have the chance to have fun again.” He had nevertheless taken a step forward, Nadal said in mid-November.
The 37-year-old Nadal – a great rival of Djokovic and Roger Federer, who retired last year – can look back on numerous historic achievements: he is the undisputed record winner of the French Open (14 titles), won Olympic gold in singles and doubles, won the Davis Cup with Spain five times and was No. 1 in the ATP world rankings for a total of 209 weeks.
In the all-time ranking of Grand Slam winners, he is number 2 behind Djokovic (24 titles) and ahead of Federer (20) and Pete Sampras (14).
