Carlos Moya reveals why Rafael Nadal is ‘convinced’ he can be ‘competitive’ ahead of comeback
Rafael Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya has explained that the Spanish legend left his training camp in Kuwait “convinced he may be competitive” in his comeback after doubting this beforehand.
The former world No 1 recognised that Nadal “obviously knows” he is still not at his best level but declared “little by little he is going to acquire it.”
Nadal will make his long-awaited return to action at the Brisbane International tournament in January in preparation for the 2024 Australian Open.
The 37-year-old has not played since sustaining a hip injury in his second round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 Australian Open in January. The Mallorcan underwent surgery to address the issue in June, having initially expected to be out for only six to eight weeks.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was forced to postpone his planned comeback during this year’s clay-court season and missed the French Open for the first time since 2004. The former world No 1 won his most recent title at the 2022 French Open, where he claimed a record-extending 14th crown.
Nadal trained with current world No 36, a rising 19-year-old ATP star who had a breakthrough 2023 season, during his time at the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait
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In an interview with the ATP Tour, 1998 French Open champion Moya revealed how Nadal’s belief has shifted after practising with Fils.
“He obviously knows that now he himself is still not at his best level, but that little by little he is going to acquire it. That’s part of our job too,” said the 47-year-old Spaniard.
“These days in Kuwait we have trained with Fils, and the truth is that it was very good, much better than he could have expected. Rafa came there thinking that he was not going to be competitive, that he was not going to be up to the task and he leaves convinced that he may be.
“Everything has a progression. To complete your best level, the difficulties must become greater. This is like a video game. You may think you’re playing great, but you’re moved to the last screen and eliminated in two minutes. It’s a bit the same.
“You start with the first screen, then the second, you eliminate final bosses that little by little become a little tougher. This is a very appropriate parallel for me. It gets a little more difficult each time, but your level as a player also goes up. I think the progression we are following is the correct one.”
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