Carlos Alcaraz’s coach makes Rafael Nadal prediction ahead of comeback

Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon men's singles title

Carlos Alcaraz’s coach thinks Rafael Nadal has what it takes to return to a high level of tennis again. The 37-year-old has not played since January after suffering a hip injury in the second round of the Australian Open.

The Spaniard underwent arthroscopic hip surgery to fix the problem and has been training hard over the last several months in a bid to make a comeback in 2024. When announcing his withdrawal from this year’s French Open, his first time missing the tournament since 2004, Nadal admitted the 2024 season may be the last of his illustrious career.

He has played down his chances of challenging the top players next year but Juan Carlos Ferrero, who won Roland Garros in 2003 and now coaches Alcaraz, has not ruled out Nadal returning to the top of his game. “He will surely return wanting to compete because he has a competitive animal inside him,” the former World No. 1 told Spanish news outlet Marca.

“I see it as logical that he does not see himself competing with Djokovic, or against the best right now, because he has been out of competition for a long time and it is always difficult to get started. But once he is on the track, his mentality of competing at his best will not change. In the [2022] Australian Open that he won against [Daniil] Medvedev, it was thought that he had less chances and he won.

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“Those who are very, very good always come up with something different from the others and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them at the highest level again. How long? Whatever it gives him physically, but I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with winning two games.”

It wasn’t until last week that Nadal confirmed he would be returning to the tour. The Mallorcan has made significant progress in his training and believes he can be competitive in the sport once again. With Djokovic in imperious form and the younger players continuing to improve, Nadal, who turns 38 next year, faces the toughest test of his career when he returns to action.

“I know it will be difficult to return to a very high level of tennis, but if I did not have the hope of being competitive again, I would not have done the work I did these months,” he said. “The effort that must be made after a very long career, which the years weigh on. I’m not going to win more Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic, but I’m going to give myself the opportunity to have fun again.”

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Should Nadal make a return to the tour, he will have a chance to play at another Olympic Games, which will take place on his beloved clay courts at Roland Garros in 2024. During a conversation with Spanish newspaper AS in September, Nadal expressed his desire to play alongside Alcaraz in the doubles competition to try and win one more gold medal for Spain.

“Everyone knows that I have always been a lover of Games. I have lived incredible moments of coexistence, of seeing what sport is in its pure essence,” Nadal said.

“Regarding the fact of playing doubles with Carlos, I have not had the slightest conversation with him in that regard. But I would also like and it would be a good motivation, another incentive for me to be able to close my Olympic cycle playing with Carlos, with everything he is achieving, with the young people and with the great future he has ahead of him.”

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