There can only be one claimant to the throne when discussing tennis ' king of clay, but injury almost prevented Rafael Nadal from taking part in his favourite season this year.
The 35-year-old suffered a rib injury in late March that sidelined him for six weeks, returning to play with a 6-1, 7-6(4) win over Miomir Kecmanovic at the Madrid Open on Wednesday. A tight turnaround left Nadal with little time to train ahead of his comeback, with the world No. 4 building towards the French Open, which gets underway on May 22.
It's not the first time the Mallorcan has been forced to contend with fitness issues in recent times, having also seen his 2021 campaign cut short in August due to a long-standing foot injury. But Nadal—who holds the men's singles record of 21 Grand Slam titles—is glad this latest "roller coaster" wasn't quite as tumultuous.
"I leave the match very, very happy. You have to be sincere with yourself," he told reporters after beating Kecmanovic. "My preparation has not existed. You cannot expect great things at the beginning.
"All trainings have had some up-and-downs, it's been a roller coaster. I have had better days, worse days. At the end of the day, the rib is a problem that limits your game a lot."
While rival Roger Federer is still playing at the age of 40, there's no telling how long Nadal—who turns 36 on June 3, two days before the French Open final—will continue his career. Victory at the Australian Open in January took the Spaniard clear of Federer and Novak Djokovic in the major count, and there's a chance increasing that gap may tempt him to retire sooner rather than later.
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Blocking Nadal's immediate path to a potential sixth Madrid Open title is David Goffin, whom Nadal will face later on Thursday. It's possible he'll advance to a semi-final showdown against world No. 1 Djokovic, who moved into the quarters following Andy Murray 's withdrawal from the tournament.
Regarding the impact on his training, Nadal went on to say his rib injury had "not allowed [him] to do anything" before adding: "But I'm not worried. I just think that every minute that I am out there on the court is something positive."
Anticipation is building as one of the most favoured players of this generation looks to win a record-extending 14th crown at the French Open. Doing so would mean Djokovic could only draw level on 22 Grand Slam titles before the end of the year, with Nadal gaining speed after a dip in morale.
