Rafael Nadal takes a flight back to Spain in a few hours, because the scheduled Qatar Airways plane bound for Doha was canceled with the Norman Brookes Trophy for the second time in his backpack.
Nadal barely slept in the hangover from his Australian Open double. And it is that he had to get up early to immortalize himself with the cup in a session in which he wore the commemorative shirt of the deed that the American multinational Nike had prepared for the occasion with the 21 drawn between the name of Rafa.
The tennis player, that he will take this week off after a tour of the antipodes that has lasted a month, longer than ever in his career, will prepare from February 7 its next official commitment, which is the Open 500 of Acapulco.
Rafa Nadal and “his indescribable satisfaction”
Rafa Nadal and “his indescribable satisfaction” after his epic victory in Australia
Nadal, Mexican Open champion three times, the last one in his most recent participation in 2020, will share the best poster in the history of the contest.
And it is that four other prominent members of the ‘top10’ will be in contention: Daniil Medvedev (2), Alexander Zverev (3), Stefanos Tsitsipas (4) and Matteo Berrettini (6).
It will be the first time that the Spaniard can meet Medvedev again after the final of the Australian Open, which ended yesterday with a comeback and the twenty-first Grand Slam title for Rafa.
The Masters 1,000 in Indian Wells appears on Nadal’s roadmap, and, although he is also listed at the TMS in Miami, He has already been absent from the event in the last four editions due to physical problems and to approach the European clay court tour with the maximum guarantees.
The holder of 21 majors plans to play the 1,000 Monte Carlo Masters, which he has won 11 times, where he could face Novak Djokovic for the first time this season.
Reunion in Monte Carlo
The Serbian starts the course from February 21 to 26 in Dubai and, right now, he could not play the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments as he was not vaccinated against the coronavirus. It should be remembered that ‘Nole’ has established his residence in the Monegasque Principality.
Nadal’s route to Roland Garros (May 22 to June 5) will lead him to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (12 titles), Mutua Madrid Open (5) and Rome Masters 1,000 (10) as long as the foot continues to respond.
Taking care of his physique at 35 years of age is one of the objectives to extend his career and for this reason he carries out regular check-ups in Barcelona together with his doctor, Ángel Ruiz Cotorro.
Steffi Graf’s Big 22
On the brick dust of Paris, Rafa aspires to equal the 22 ‘majors’ of the German Steffi Graf, one of the three players who are still ahead of him in that classification along with Margaret Court (24) y Serena Williams (23).
Graf conquered his last ‘Grand Slam’ at the French Open in the 1999 edition in a remembered final in which she ended the resistance of a very young Martina Hingis.
Only four tennis players have been able in the Open Era to add the first two majors: Rod Laver (1969), Mats Wilander (1988), Jim Courier (1992) and Djokovic (2016 and 2021). The Serbian is the only one who got it twice.
