Hard blow for Rafael Nadal who lost in the 2nd round of the Australian Open. Injured, his future is uncertain.
What future for Rafael Nadal? The Spaniard, defending champion of the Australian Open was sharply beaten by Mackenzie McDonald on Wednesday January 18 (6-4, 6-4, 7-5). Dominated for two sets, the Spaniard injured his thigh in the 3rd set and grimaced a lot before finally losing in the last set, without really playing the last points of the match despite the encouragement of the public.
With the prospect of his career dying coming due to his increasingly recurring physical glitches, Australian Open fans may have seen the Spaniard for the last time at the Road Laver Arena. In a press conference, the Spaniard explained his injury. “I have had a hip problem for several years and in the last three days I had more pain, but that did not stop me from playing. We have to wait, do more tests and understand the extent of the problem. problem. It is difficult to determine if it is a muscle, if it is the joint, if it is the cartilage. I do not know”, he indicated, declaring himself “neither optimistic, nor pessimistic (…) It’s a difficult day, one more injury, one more hard moment. I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not mentally destroyed now. It’s hard for me. I hope that it’s not too serious and it won’t take me away from the courts for too long. It’s not just the recovery. It’s all the amount of work you have to put in to get back to a decent level. I I’ve been through this process so many times in my career, and I’m ready to continue I think, but it’s not easy, that’s for sure.”
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Short biography of Rafael Nadal. Rafael Nadal was born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, a town on the island of Majorca in Spain. Attracted very early by sport, in particular football and basketball, he discovered tennis and held a racket from the age of four where he benefited from the skills of his uncle Toni Nadal to teach him the discipline. Very quickly, Toni Nadal will transform his nephew into a real “monster of tennis”, capable of winning the biggest trophies. He won his first competition at eight years old in the Balearic Islands.
When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation asked him to leave his hometown of Manacor to join Barcelona to continue his progress with the aim of becoming a professional. But the Nadal family refuses to see little Rafael join Catalonia and the federation reduces the amount of its aid, which will be compensated by Rafael’s father to meet the needs of his son. A true hope of Spanish tennis, the native of Manacor won the “Petits As” tournament in Tarbes in 2000, the unofficial world championship for 13-14 year olds where he notably beat the Frenchman Richard Gasquet. He turned professional in 2001 after replacing Boris Becker during an exhibition in Mallorca against Pat Cash where “Rafa” won against the then 36-year-old American.
After being a semi-finalist Wimbledon Among the Juniors in 2002, nothing stopped Rafael Nadal, who immediately won on the ATP world circuit. Winner of his first Grand Slam tournament at the age of 19, Rafael Nadal enjoys an extraordinary track record. The Majorcan has won 21 Grand Slam tournaments, including thirteen on the clay courts of Roland Garros, a record. Olympic medalist in 2008, quadruple winner of the Davis Cup with Spain, Rafael Nadal has won everything during his career. Considered the best clay court player in the history of tennis, “Rafa” manages to dethrone Roger Federer from his place as world number one on August 18, 2008. A place he then held for 46 consecutive weeks.
Born right-handed, Rafael Nadal plays tennis with his left hand, his uncle having chosen to develop this aspect of his game to obtain a more powerful two-handed backhand. Known for his fair play and sportsmanship, Rafael Nadal is also renowned for being one of the most combative players on the circuit and an excellent defender who is difficult to overwhelm. His many routines during a match (meticulously placing his water bottles, touching his nose and then his hair at each point, etc.) are another characteristic of the character.
Since the start of his professional career in 2001, Rafael Nadal has won 92 titles, including 22 Grand Slams (2 Australian Open, 14 Roland-Garros, 2 Wimbledon and 4 U.S. Open). Out of 1270 professional matches played, the Majorcan won 1058.
Since his time on the professional circuit in 2001, Rafael Nadal has won over $130 million in prize money ($130,681,472m). His personal fortune is estimated at just 200 million dollars, the Majorcan has invested his money in real estate markets or in his foundation to help underprivileged or disabled children by using sport as a means of integration.
Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros
The most successful player in the history of Roland-Garros, Rafael Nadal has a special relationship with the Parisian Grand Slam, which he has won fourteen times, including four times without losing a set (2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020). This tournament is special for the Mallorcan, so much so that he has his statue near the Porte d’Auteuil.
Sincerely moved, “Rafa” had declared: “It’s something special and important for me. It’s the most important tournament of my career. When I come here, I feel like home.”
What is Rafael Nadal’s ranking?
In the top 10 since 2005, Rafael Nadal became on March 3 the only player in history with 6,000 consecutive days spent in the top 10 places in the ATP rankings. A unique performance for the one who managed to dethrone Roger Federer to the rank of world No. 1, a place last occupied by the Spaniard on January 20, 2020.