“I’m not very well”, confessed this Sunday from Melbourne the Spanish tennis player Rafael
Nadal, referring to the pain in his back, but he was hopeful that he would be physically “ready” before Tuesday, the day scheduled for his Australian Open debut.
“I’m not very well, obviously. It is true that in the last 15 days I have had a bad time,” the Mallorcan tennis player told the press, winner of the Australian Grand Slam in 2009.
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“We are doing everything we can. My physical therapist is here, my doctors, everyone is helping in every possible way. I hope I’m ready, that’s all. I know that things can change very quickly, “added the world’s No. 2.
The 34-year-old Spaniard was unable to play the ATP Cup with Spain due to these discomforts. and has not played a competitive match since last November, aside from an exhibition match nine days ago in Adelaide, against the Austrian Dominic Thiem.
“The only thing I can do is be positive, work on my recovery and do everything that I can. So I hope the situation improves. We’ll see, “he valued.
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Nadal insisted that his injury “is not serious” but admitted that he cannot be sure above the level he will exhibit at the Australian Open, which begins for him on Tuesday, with his first-round match against Serbian Laszlo Djere.
“I’m not telling myself that I won’t play. The question is ‘in what state will I debut in the tournament’? I trained well for many weeks, and I am saddened by everything that happened these last fifteen days. All the positive feelings I had two weeks ago and media have disappeared because I have not been able to train as I should, “he confessed.
“The muscle is still tight, and that makes it difficult to play with freedom of movement”, explained the Spaniard, winner of 20 Grand Slams, a record in the men’s category that he shares with the Swiss Roger Federer. “I am not very fond of looking for excuses. When these things happen you have to find a way to overcome it,” he said.
If physical problems do not prevent him and he surpasses the first rounds, Nadal could see heads in the quarterfinals with the fifth seed, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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AFP