"Right now that's my fear": Rafael Nadal's return to Grand Slam tennis in comparison to practice scares coach Carlos Moya

Rafael Nadal's coach, Carlos Moya, acknowledged his concerns regarding the performance of the 22-times Grand Slam champion in five-set matches during the Grand Slam tournaments. Moya mentioned that his "biggest fear" is how Nadal will handle the transition from training matches to the competitive level of an official match.

Nadal has not played a match since the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, where he was defeated by Mackenzie McDonald. The Spanish player is currently ranked No. 666 in the world, which means he will not be seeded in a Grand Slam for the first time in 19 years, implying that he could face any top-10 opponent from the first round.

Tha Spanish coach stated that Rafael Nadal has shown great performance in training and has progressed significantly in recent months. However, it is still early to determine whether he can replicate it when playing at the highest level: "Rafa is going to go from training, which he is doing very well, to competing. And it is impossible to have the same conditions in training as in a match," Moya said during an interview with the ATP.

“Playing the best of five sets, win, rest, return to the court two days later… That is the doubt I have right now, especially for a Grand Slam. But we have time. If the Australian Open started tomorrow, it would be a real fear,” Moya claimed.

“There is still a month left, a tournament before in Brisbane, demanding training… I think all of this will put him in a position to be able to endure it. But right now that’s my fear,” he added.

Moya also discussed the factor that Nadal won't be able to avoid facing stronger opponents in the early rounds and will have to be at his best right from the start. In his career, Nadal has only lost in the first round of a Grand Slam twice: Wimbledon 2013 and the Australian Open 2016. Moya stated, "Although he can play using the protected ranking in his first nine tournaments upon his return, that will not prevent him from being able to play against very strong opponents from the first round..."

“It is clear that the draws are going to play an important role in the return, especially because we want him to play games. I have never been of the thought that Rafa needs rhythm because he is too good for that, but now the situation is different. We are interested in him playing games, that he can win them to complete that level,” he added.

Finally, Moya acknowledged the uncertainties about Nadal's physical condition in 2024. The coach stated that Nadal doesn't necessarily want to end his career, and if he is physically well, they do not rule out the possibility of extending the career of the 37-year-old Spanish player: "Leaving a sport that you’ve done all your life, that gets you hooked by that special adrenaline, is very complicated," he explained.

“He (Nadal) doesn’t want to close the door. If everything goes well, and he endures, why not continue? If he enjoys it, has a good time and it’s what he likes to do, why not? But there are too many unknowns right now to say where we will be in a year. Anything can happen.”