2024-03-12 18:31:24
The Monte-Carlo organizers confirmed on Tuesday the presence of Rafael Nadal for the first Masters 1000 on earth of the season (April 7-14). David Massey, the director of the Monegasque tournament, took the opportunity to give reassuring news from the Majorcan, who was forced to withdraw shortly before entering the fray at Indian Wells. “He felt uncomfortable (following his exhibition once morest Alcaraz) so he was afraid and preferred not to play in Indian Wells, but the exams he took showed nothing,” assured Massey.
Regarding the Monte-Carlo meeting, Massey wanted to be optimistic. “You never know what he will do, but I saw him training with his coaches on a private court at Larry Ellison (the American billionaire owner of the Indian Wells tournament) and I had the impression of ‘hear a beast. It hits like never before. »
“Even without having played matches, he has the ability to come back and play his best tennis”
David Massey, director of the Monaco tournament
Having fallen to 652nd ATP rank this week, the Spaniard with 22 Grand Slam titles used a protected ranking (9th) to enter the main draw in Monte-Carlo. He has won eleven times, but since his last coronation in 2018, he lost in the semi-finals in 2019 and in the quarter-finals in 2021, missing the 2020, 2022 and 2023 editions. “We sent him two boxes of balls in Mallorca so that he can practice” with the balls that will be used in Monte-Carlo, added the tournament director.
“Even without having played any matches, he has the ability to come back and play his best tennis,” argued Massey, certain that Nadal “was doing everything to come to Monte-Carlo.” The Spaniard, who will celebrate his 38th birthday on June 3 in the middle of Roland-Garros, has only played three matches since his injury in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, last January in Brisbane where he was eliminated in the quarter-finals. Since then, he has withdrawn from the hard court tournaments where he was expected (Australian Open, Doha and Indian Wells where he considered himself “not ready”), and had not planned to play in Miami at the end of March.
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