Nadal seen practicing on clay with French Open hopes still alive

Rafael Nadal has yet to confirm that he'll actually play at Roland Garros but the Spaniard was spotted on clay as fans hope that he recovers in time for the event.

The Spaniard hasn't played since January and the Australian Open after injuring his hip. The initial prognosis was favourable with Nadal set to return probably somewhere around the Indian Wells Masters but the process of recovery itself hasn't been going according to schedule. It's unclear whether he suffered any setbacks because not much information got out but recently Nadal provided an update where he talked about it.

He now posted a photo on social media showing himself practising on clay back home at his Academy which might be a good indicator that he's nearing a return. His uncle recently confirmed in an interview that Nadal is nearing a competitive return which is what many pundits spoke about as well.

Nobody really thought that Nadal would miss the event.