Tiger Woods issues plea to tennis fans ahead of Rafael Nadal farewell tour
Tiger Woods is urging tennis fans to enjoy Rafael Nadal while they can as the Spaniard prepares to make one last comeback. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not played since January when he picked up a season-ending injury in Australia. Nadal later admitted that 2024 could be his last year on the tour and any return may end up being a farewell lap of honour.
After having surgery in June, the 37-year-old was reluctant to commit to making a comeback. But Nadal recently announced that he would be able to get back to professional competition next year. It remains to be seen when and where he plays but there are reports that the former world No 1 will start the season with a warm-up event in Australia.
As Nadal gears up for his return, his good friend Tiger Woods has issued a plea for fans to enjoy his tennis before it’s too late. “Well, I think what Rafa, what he’s done is extraordinary. I mean, he won the Australian Open on a broken foot. The guy is beyond tough and beyond competitive,” the golfing icon said, referencing Nadal’s heroic victory from 2022.
Although Woods himself knows the perils of trying to recover from a significant injury, the 47-year-old admitted that he didn’t want to see Nadal hang up his racket. He continued: “He knows that Father Time is here. Every athlete faces it. Although in some sports it happens faster than others, and unfortunately, just like every sport, you get aged out.
