Rafael Nadal says his ‘hope is to play again, to be competitive again’ as he recovers from a ‘tough year’ with injuries

Rafael Nadal is hoping he can return to the tennis courts to be “competitive once again” as he recovers from several injuries that have seen him miss most of the 2023 season.

The 37-year-old has not played competitively since he was beaten in straight sets by Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner underwent hip surgery earlier this summer but has dropped out of the ATP Tour’s top 100 for the first time since 2003 due to his lack of playing time.

“The hope is not returning and winning at Roland-Garros again, or in Australia, let’s get that straight. I’m aware that at this point of my life, that is very far off. I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’ve said it thousands of times, because things in sport change very quickly.”

Speaking on his injuries, the tennis superstar admitted that he had been getting bored during his day-to-day recovery, saying that he has had to be careful not to aggravate his injuries.

“I have to tread carefully and stay within myself at all times,” Nadal said. “I know that I have to be careful.

“I’ve been through many periods of recovery, and I always get bored, but that doesn’t take away from my focus and the care of doing it day in, day out. Luckily, since a few weeks ago, I’ve been able to play golf.

“That’s the only thing I can compete in at this point. It distracts me and competing is a necessity for me.”

Nadal has been sidelined for eight months but admitted he wasn’t getting frustrated about his lack of playing time.

He said: “I’m not frustrated for one simple reason; to the best of my ability, I’ve done everything so that things have gone as well as possible for me.

“[It is possible to] be frustrated with 22 Grand Slams. For example, for Novak it is more intense. To him, it would have been more frustrating not to get [the record for majors]. Maybe that’s why he’s achieved it.”

Opening up on his medical treatment, the Mallorcan, who clinched his 22nd Grand Slam at the French Open in 2022, admitted that he had endured a difficult year, revealing the true nature of his iliopsoas injury.

“As well as the iliopsoas, on June 2, I had a hip operation. It’s been a very tough year and a half since the rib injury in Indian Wells, despite the Roland-Garros title.

“The results sometimes belie the daily reality. My iliopsoas was very bad and the operation was a solution. They told me that if I didn’t have the operation I wouldn’t recover even if I stopped for a long time.

“I took the decision, and the operation went well, but it’s a long time. I’ve been on holiday for five weeks only doing gym. Now it’s a controllable pain, nothing I can’t handle.”

Nadal, who turned pro in 2001, was forced to withdraw from the French Open earlier this year, a tournament he has won 14 times, but isn’t putting a date on his return, stating that he hopes to be able to give an update in mid-November.

He also added that he was not sure what his goals for the upcoming season would be, with that depending on how well he can compete next year, hinting that he could even “decide to have a goodbye tour”.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do in 2024, because the way I approach the year completely changes depending on what my goals are,” he said.

“If I don’t recover, that’s one thing, if I can compete on a level that excites me, that’s another thing altogether… Of course, in that case, I would play. But not with the schedule I’d like to have.

“I still have no need to answer that [now]. If I can play, but I’m not at the level to win at Roland-Garros, maybe I will decide to have a goodbye tour.

“I can’t answer that right now. The Olympic Games would be the icing on the cake if I’m competitive. My schedule would change if I feel like I have a chance of playing and winning at Roland-Garros.

“My hope is that in two months, mid-November, I’ll be able to say where I am. How I am physically well, and above all how the injury is. We haven’t set a time-frame.”

He added: “I’m prudent, when I know the answer, I’ll say something. I take it day by day with the hope of having the option to decide.”