WATCH: Rafael Nadal edging closer to tennis comeback as he teases fans with new video
Rafael Nadal’s latest Instagram post caption was simple, but the 22-time Grand Slam winner’s fans – as well as tennis fans in general – will no doubt be delighted with the video that accompanied the social media post.
The video of Nadal on a practice court hitting powerful tennis shots will be a welcome sight for the sport as it is yet another indication that he is edging closer to a return to tennis.
It is the first time in nearly six months that Nadal has posted a photo or video of himself playing tennis on social media – the last photos of him playing tennis came in April before he underwent hip surgery in June.
On Wednesday he shared a 15-second video of a practice session at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca and there was no holding back in some of the shots while he also didn’t look in any discomfort.
The caption for the video was a simple: “✅????.”
Nadal has not set foot on court for a competitive match since January 18 when his Australian Open title defence came to an end in the second with a three-set defeat at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald.
That was a day to forget for the Spaniard as he also picked up a hip injury although at the time he was hopeful of a swift return to action. However, the injury was a lot more serious than initially thought and he was forced to withdraw from Roland Garros.
His French Open withdrawal was accompanied by a press conference where he announced that the 2024 season is likely to be his final one as a professional player. The 37-year-old then underwent surgery in June with doctors stating he would be out of action for a minimum of five months.
There had been rumours that he was targeting a return to action in November for the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, but Spain’s failure to qualify put paid to those reports.
He recently revealed that the 2024 Australian Open is his main aim, but also warned the tennis community not to expect too much too soon.”
