Rafael Nadal’s astounding 14 French Open victories are not the most astounding of his accomplishments; perhaps even more astounding is the 912 weeks he spent in the top 10 of the world rankings.
Jimmy Connors is ranked second in men’s tennis on that list with 788.
At the Brisbane International on Sunday, Rafael Nadal participated in his first match of the year and was defeated in straight sets in his first-round doubles match.
The 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem will be his first opponent when the singles competition begins next week. His Brisbane participation serves as a warm-up for the Australian Open, which may be his last competition trip to Australia.
The Spaniard has seen so many similar situations in the past that his crippling injury issues are just as well-known as his lasso-like spinning forehand. He has had to continuously start and stop, without any momentum, on demand, especially in the final phases of his career.
That is precisely why one of his greatest accomplishments throughout the course of his 18-year career (2005–2023) was ranking among the top 10 athletes in a physically demanding and intense sport.
For more than ten years, Rafael Nadal dominated the clay season despite his ongoing injury woes, managing to stay fit enough to compete in and win Majors.
That’s also exactly why it makes his chances of making a second comeback even more remote. After suffering a hip flexor injury during the Australian Open in 2023, Rafael Nadal fell to World No.
670 and hasn’t played in a competitive singles match since. Nadal’s medical history alone since 2021 will have most hospitals drooling. He had to have surgery after his long-term foot ailment from 2005 flared again, and he later used painkilling shots to play while winning the French Open once more.
Aside from that, he has dealt with a strained abdominal muscle, a broken rib, back issues, and a hip flexor issue.
Nonetheless, his longtime rival provided the most definitive insight into his mental state. During an exhibition in Riyadh last week, Novak Djokovic stated, “He’s not a kind of a player who will come back to the tour just to play, let’s say, on a medium level, play a few matches.”
“He aspires to be the greatest and to win championships. He undoubtedly trains and prepares with the goal of winning the Grand Slam.
Reversing the current situation
In Nadal’s absence, Djokovic broke more records and cemented his dominance over the sport, thereby ending the GOAT discussion, which now seems more like a marketing gimmick than a serious athletic debate. Meanwhile, a newcomer was busy making his mark on the main platform.
Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old World No. 2 from Spain, catapulted himself into stardom before his career even took off at the big stage with his neat blend of daring and attacking play, wild athleticism, and personal charisma.
Few prodigies have in the past created as much excitement among tennis fans as Carlos did. But he took steps to ensure that the disparity was short-lived.
The other two of the pair’s three incredible matchups were the tennis events of the year, but his dramatic comeback victory over Djokovic in the Wimbledon final was the biggest upset of the year.
It increased his standing as a serious contender and gave Djokovic the motivation to continue competing. The Serb and the sport as a whole may look forward rather than backward with young competitors like Alcaraz and World No. 4 Jannik Sinner.
In order to accomplish this, he will need to reach a peak that he hasn’t yet reached at a time when the circuit is far more competitive than it was when he made his last comeback. Still, the prospect is tantalizing despite the uncertainty.
