For a brief spell on Thursday, Rafa Nadal looked ready for retirement. Rafa was committing a tremendous amount of unforced errors. He looked uncharacteristically sloppy and sluggish. Spain’s raging bull was struggling to land his groundstrokes and unable to stay in rallies. This led to him dropping the first set against Zizou Bergs in the first round. But history has shown us you can never count out the king of clay and he emerged once again. He looked every bit of his fist-bumping, tireless, virtually unbeatable self when he came back to win 4-6, 6-3, and 6-4. This was perhaps his final game at the Foro Italia and he was greeted by an adoring audience.
The Return Of Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard has only played 10 games this year, after missing nearly all of last year with a hip injury. His sights are set on a triumphant return to the French Open. His hunt for a record 15th title has already begun. That was not my best match. I was practicing better than how I played today, without a doubt. But I found a way to win,” Nadal said. My game is more unpredictable than before. I didn’t play much tennis for the last two years. So I’m up and down, on and off, but I think I can do it much better than what I did today
Fight For The French Open
This is Rafa’s final warmup tournament before Roland Garros begins on the 26th of May. The King of Clay will once again return to his favorite competition, in what is perhaps his final season as a professional. The competition will be tough, with Nadal’s regen Carlos Alcaraz performing extremely well throughout the year. The ever daunting Novak Djokovic will also be standing in his way. Its one last dance for the one of the finest tennis players of all time. Will he prove that he is the most tenacious still or will father time stand in his way as it has done for countless others?
