Rafa Nadal’s uncle Toni has given a promising update on the 22-time grand slam champion’s recovery ahead of the nervous wait on whether he will play Roland Garros. Nadal left the tennis world speechless after announcing he would miss the Madrid Open having not recovered from his hip flexor injury that he suffered during the Australian Open.
While Nadal was expected to be back on the court after 6-8 weeks following his Melbourne Park exit, the 36-year-old withdrew from both Monte Carlo and Barcelona in worrying signs. He then made an announcement that his rehabilitation hasn’t gone as expected and he wouldn’t take part in the Madrid Open.
This sparked speculation that Nadal wouldn’t be fit in time for the French Open, which he has won a record 14 times. Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge even speculated that Nadal wouldn’t risk his remarkable record on the Paris clay if he didn’t think he could win.
However, in promising news, Nadal’s long-time coach – Toni – claimed the Spaniard was nearing a return as his training schedule appears to be stepping up. “Rafael is recovering, I think he is not long before he can compete again, but in this tournament (the Madrid Open) he could not be here,” Toni told RTVE Madrid.
