Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic has said that he is "confident" that Rafael Nadal will be "dangerous" upon his return to the French Open in 2024 despite the fact that the Spaniard has been downplaying his own hopes of another Grand Slam title.
Nadal has been absent for the majority of the 2023 season after he sustained a hip injury at the Australian Open in January. In May, the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced that he was taking a break from the sport to undergo arthroscopic surgery.
Since then, Nadal has returned to training and revealed that he is aiming to return at the 2024 Australian Open. However, he has downplayed his hopes for success in Melbourne and at Roland Garros.
This surprised several fans, especially because the 37-year-old has long been known for his dominance of the clay-court Slam, having won the title an incredible 14 times.
Despite these doubts, Ivanisevic (who has coached Nadal's rival Djokovic since 2019), expressed a lot of confidence about Nadal's chances at the French Open upon his return, especially because of the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.
"I am convinced Nadal’s level will be good, he would not be coming back if he did not feel ready, and I am confident that at Roland Garros he will be dangerous.
"He will actually be more dangerous this year because nowhere has anyone been as dominant as Nadal at Roland Garros, and it is possible that, in the year of the Olympics, he will aim for the double crown in Paris," he said in an interview with Croatian media.
However, Nadal recently said that he was still uncertain about whether or not he will be ready to make a comeback at the Australian Open in January, which could mean he has fewer matches under his belt ahead of his appearance at Roland Garros.
"I am training more now than I did a month ago. That, for me, is progress. I have less pain, but I still have discomfort. I would like to increase the intensity.
"If I had less pain I would give you a return date, but I would *like* to return to Australia. I can't say for sure yet," he said.
🤔 Goran Ivaniseivc says Rafael Nadal will be ‘extra dangerous’ in 2024: “I am convinced Nadal’s level will be good, he would not be coming back if he did not feel ready, and I am confident that at Roland Garros he will be dangerous. He will actually be more dangerous this year…
