Rafael Nadal’s uncle provides worrying update and explains when pain is the worst
Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach has revealed that ‘discomfort while serving’ has forced the star to again delay his comeback from injury. The 22-time Grand Slam winner endured another big setback this week when he announced his withdrawal from next week’s Monte-Carlo Masters.
And now his uncle Toni Nadal, who mentored him for the majority of his career before opting to step away from the coaching staff in 2017, has explained why his nephew made the call. “Either you go [to a tournament] one hundred per cent or better not participate,” he told the EFE news agency.
“For the moment he can’t play there, he hasn’t recovered yet. He has discomfort when serving, otherwise he has no problems when training.”
The ‘King of Clay’ has not played a competitive match since the Brisbane International in January. A muscle injury duly forced him out of the Australian Open, Qatar Open and Indian Wells Masters, but he had been touted to begin his build-up for the French Open, a tournament he’s previously won 14 times, in Monte-Carlo.
Fans will now fear the absence of Nadal, 37, at the Barcelona Open on April 15 with that event followed by the Madrid Open. And Toni also conceded he didn’t know what the player’s intentions were.
“I don’t know what he will do regarding Barcelona and Madrid,” he added. “I haven’t been in his sports environment for years. When we see each other I ask him how it’s going, but I don’t ask him about his plans.” He did however, express a desire to watch his relative target title No.15 in France on May 20.
