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“In Australia, I pushed too hard”: Nadal more cautious about his fitness

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3 weeks ago

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In Madrid, Rafael Nadal confirmed a new trend in his game: more than ever, he doesn’t want to strain his body. Absent since his attempted return to competition in Brisbane, he was back in action in Barcelona last week – and his second-round defeat there at the hands of Alex de Minaur demonstrated his current mindset. The Spaniard didn’t want to force the issue and took his foot off the accelerator in the second set, losing 7-5, 6-1.

In his first match in Madrid, a walk in the park against Darwin Blanch, Nadal didn’t really draw on his reserves to get through. He will undoubtedly need to be a little more on it against De Minaur in the next round for the Barcelona rematch.

At a press conference, the Spaniard expressed his delight at his ability to win a match in two consecutive tournaments (Barcelona, Madrid). His strongest wish remains the same: to be able to hold his own in the competitions that drive him.

“I’d like to be able to play week after week in Brisbane, Melbourne, Doha, Indian Wells, but it’s not possible since what happened in Brisbane. Starting from scratch when your body has been used to the training regime I had in the past, it’s not possible. In Australia, I was probably less physically fit than I was. I made mistakes, I pushed myself too hard,” admitted the man who withdrew from the Australian Open, Doha, Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo.

Nadal: I can give 100 per cent some of the time

In an ideal world, and he knows it perfectly well, Nadal would love to be competitive in the tournaments he has so often won. But reality has caught up with him ever more quickly since the beginning of 2023 (and his injury at the Australian Open), and this year of 2024 looks more like a farewell tour than a final round of battles.

He said in the English portion of his press conference that he could no longer give 100 per cent every day: “Most of the time, I was able to give my 100% of the 100%. Today I’m able to give my 100% of sometimes 40%, sometimes 60%, sometimes 70%, and if I am able to raise this percentage day after day or week after week, why not in the future what can happen?”

He will certainly need to be close to 100 per cent when he faces De Minaur on Saturday.

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