Rafael Nadal never stops postponing his comeback. Absent in Monte-Carlo, Spain, who fell to 15th in the world, will not play the ATP 500 in Barcelona next week either, a tournament he loves.
Rafael Nadal (36) is still postponing his big comeback on the circuit. The Spaniard, absent since January, announced his package for the ATP 500 in Barcelona (April 15-23), this Friday on Twitter. “I am not ready yet, he said. I continue my process of preparation for my return.”
His return is now hoped for the Masters 1000 in Madrid (April 24-May 7). Since his psoas injury contracted in the second round of the Australian Open, the Majorcan is clearly struggling. He trains within his Academy but progress is slow. The quest for a fifteenth title at Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11) promises to be complicated. If all goes well, he will present himself at Porte d’Auteuil with only two tournaments in his legs. How many matches? Here is all the question.
Crossed Tuesday in the aisles of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, Benito Barbadillo-Perez, his press officer, assured that Rafael Nadal would be in Paris, “ready to die on the court”.
Djokovic injured
For his part, Novak Djokovic is not doing much better. The Serb was eliminated in the round of 16 in Monte-Carlo by the Italian Lorenzo Musetti. He was very weak on serve, which is hardly surprising as he seems to have an elbow or forearm injury. He stayed only two minutes in a press conference, his eyes black and refusing to dwell on his problems.
On Sunday, during training, a photographer had witnessed a scene where he screamed in pain on an extended backhand. He should normally line up next week at an ATP 250 in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina), a tournament for which his family has the license.
