© Getty Photographs Sport – Chris Hyde
Spanish tennis legend David Ferrer says he has zero doubt that Rafael Nadal can be a professional tennis participant in 2025 if he avoids accidents and setbacks within the the rest of the yr.
Final yr, Nadal sustained an harm to his psoas muscle on the Australian Open and ended up having surgical procedure and lacking the rest of the 2023 season. After recovering from his hip surgical procedure, Nadal formally began his comeback within the first week of the season in Brisbane.
To nobody’s shock, Nadal was immediately requested in regards to the probabilities of seeing him change his thoughts and proceed enjoying past 2024. Answering the query, Nadal mentioned there was an opportunity of that taking place however underlined that he would want to really feel wholesome and aggressive to think about that possibility.
Then, Nadal began his Brisbane marketing campaign with two spectacular straight-set wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler. However then, Nadal suffered “a micro tear” harm throughout his Brisbane quarterfinal match towards Jordan Thompson and ended up shedding the match in three units.
Nevertheless, Nadal sounded optimistic and optimistic after the harm, insisting it wasn’t something that will put him in a darkish place.
“Sure, definitely. Realizing Rafa a little bit or rather a lot, if he doesn’t have bodily accidents, I’m satisfied that he can be aggressive. It was already proven within the first week of the yr in Brisbane that he was at a really excessive degree with out hardly competing. If he would not have any accidents he can be aggressive and if he’s aggressive, he’ll proceed for one more yr,” Ferrer informed Marca when requested if he sees Nadal enjoying in 2025 if his harm would not return.
Ferrer on the Nadal-Carlos Alcaraz exhibition match
After sustaining the harm in Brisbane, Nadal skipped the Australian Open and he additionally did not play in Doha final week. However Nadal arrived in Indian Wells a few days in the past and he is able to play once more. However earlier than the Indian Wells Masters, Nadal will head to Las Vegas for the Netflix Slam towards Alcaraz.
On paper, the match itself is not that important contemplating that it is an exhibition match. However Nadal may benefit rather a lot from the match as enjoying towards Alcaraz will give him a great probability to see the place he’s at now and total check his degree earlier than Indian Wells. And Ferrer expects each Nadal and Alcaraz to take significantly the match.
“Realizing Rafa, I believe he’s going to care about that match, competing on the highest degree as a result of then comes Indian Wells,” Ferrer mentioned.
“For him it is very important really feel good in tennis and he’s going to measure himself with nothing extra and nothing lower than Carlos Alcaraz. For Carlos it is usually necessary as a result of he has not performed a lot and it’ll serve him nicely for Indian Wells and Miami. As a spectator, I might pay a ticket to see it.”
Ferrer on Alcaraz’s struggles, compares him to Nadal
After impressively beating Novak Djokovic in final yr’s Wimbledon last, 20-year-old Alcaraz gained his second Grand Slam title and was additionally ranked at No. 1 after Wimbledon. As much as that time, Alcaraz had performed 10 tournaments in 2023 and had six titles on the yr. Since then, Alcaraz has performed in 10 tournaments however hasn’t triumphed in any.
Over the a number of months, some have claimed that the rationale behind Alcaraz’s struggles is the truth that the stress and expectations massively elevated on him after his spectacular Wimbledon win. Ferrer, the 2013 French Open runner-up and a former world No. 3, seemingly agrees that is the case but in addition highlights all of that is “a studying expertise” and expects the Spaniard to beat this example.
“He’s second on the earth and you can not demand {that a} 20-year-old participant at all times win. The gamers additionally know him higher, however he’s a particular participant, of the caliber of Rafa, Roger or Novak,” Ferrer mentioned.
“Now’s once you deal with the stress. Not every part is new, you demand that you just at all times win since you are second on the earth and you’ve got been primary. The semi-finals are not legitimate. He calls for to win and it’s not simple, it’s a course of…
“It’s a studying expertise and Carlos is ready to assume and settle for the place he can enhance. The yr has simply begun and it’ll evolve, definitely.”
Contemplating that Nadal is ready to show 38 in June and presumably be out of professional tennis as quickly as this yr, shortly all of the eyes might be on Alcaraz. At 20, Alcaraz has already achieved spectacular success and Ferrer believes the 20-year-old is a “participant of Nadal caliber” and backs him to convey extra main success to Spanish tennis sooner or later.
“Alcaraz is a blessing for us as a result of I believed that nobody might be like Rafa and Carlos is a participant of that caliber, a particular participant,” Ferrer mentioned.
