The unwavering spirit of Rafael Nadal will pull him through says Corretja: 'It doesn't have to affect him mentally'
ATPMonday, 08 January 2024 at 18:30
Rafael Nadal will not be affected mentally believes Alex Corretja by his latest injury setback at the 2024 Australian Open which has seen him withdraw due to a micro tear in his thigh after a promising early comeback at the Brisbane International was dented.
Nadal saw off Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, but missed five match points against Jordan Thompson in some discomfort and the worst was confirmed. But it is that early promise that Corretja bases his lack of worry for the future of Nadal on with many expecting him to be right again ahead of the next stage of the season.
"It's certainly a setback that could happen," Corretja told Eurosport.
"After so many months without competing, it is logical that muscularly you may feel some discomfort. The important thing is that it is not in the place where the big injury was made, that would be something to take into account and would perhaps be more worrying.
"I believe at the moment that if Rafa recovers, it doesn't have to affect him mentally. He has realised that his level has grown, that he is back to more or less where he wanted to be and now the only thing we have to hope is that he can recover, play a few more days and return to compete in the tournaments that he wants."
But he also echoes a point many have made that he won't be at his best anyway until clay with our column yesterday sharing the same opinion that he should ditch Indian Wells and Miami and only play the clay tournaments until the Olympics where injuries are less likely and he is adept to that surface.
"I think for clay it's maybe where his problems would have less impact and where he's going to feel the best," he added. "Let's see what happens, but it's clear that for all the people who had created this expectation it's a shame."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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