Rafael Nadal not thinking about Calendar Grand Slam, but hoping to continue ‘miracle 2022’

Shahida Jacobs
June 22, 2022

Rafael Nadal’s 2022 campaign has been nothing short of “a miracle” with his coach Carlos Moya saying it is a testament to his humbleness.

Having missed the second half of the 2021 season due to his chronic foot injury, Nadal started this year with a bang as he won three consecutive tournaments, including the Australian Open.

After winning his first 20 matches of the season, his run was halted by Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells Open final as he struggled with a rib injury. That injury kept him out for several weeks and he only played five matches before Roland Garros.

He then started the French Open under an injury cloud as his foot problem flared up again, but managed to get through the clay-court Grand Slam and was the final man standing after beating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final.

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With the win came a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros while he also moved to 22 Grand Slams.

Moya, though, says his fellow Spaniard is not getting carried away, but he was full of praise for Nadal.

“I feel like 2022 for Rafa, it’s a miracle, since the very beginning of the year,” he told Eurosport.

“After winning the first tournament, then the first Slam, he then got hurt again and he didn’t have that much time for preparation for Roland-Garros.

“He then ended up winning, and one week later, or two weeks later, I thought, ‘okay, maybe he needs time to rest, he needs time to recover’. Again, now, he is ready to go and try to play at Wimbledon.

“I feel like only Rafa can do that, honestly, because all the ups and downs physically that he had he overcame them. It shows how humble he is, and how much desire he has to keep on going.”

His success in Paris and Melbourne means he is halfway to a Calendar Grand Slam although there still some doubts over his fitness due to his foot problem.

Moya continued: “I don’t think he feels like winning the Calendar Slam; it’s not on his mind. He is just going there to practise from the first day, get ready, and probably have the best chance he can for the first round. This is his only goal.

“Then he will go little by little. This is why Rafa deals very well with these kinds of situations because he knows where he is and he just goes for it, just being realistic.”

Carlos Moya Rafael Nadal