Outlook for Rafael Nadal in Comeback 2013 Season

Realistically, nobody expects Rafael Nadal to set the world on fire in the early going of his 2013 comeback.
The Spaniard suffered a debilitating left knee injury last summer and hasn’t been able to get back onto the court.
The 11-time Gram Slam winner chose to forego surgery in order to heal naturally and rehabilitate the partial tear that he suffered in his left knee. Tendinitis and swelling in the knee persisted as well, delaying the healing process.
Nadal was realistic about his expectations upon his return, back in December, according to a Reuters report (via IBNLive.com):

“I would like to return in January. I don’t expect to return and win the Australian Open, I have to be realistics,” Nadal said. “The results will not worry me in the first tournaments back.”

Like Nadal, let’s take a realistic look at what to expect from the former world No. 1 in his comeback season.

 It’s Clay Season
 The “King of Clay” is coming back at a good time. His upcoming return at the 2013 Brazil Open will be a strong indicator of how ready Nadal is to get back into the full swing of international competition.
If he can put up a strong showing in his first couple of tournaments, although his expectations are tempered, he might be able to come away from this tough injury unscathed.
That’s good for a 26-year-old who has lofty expectations, like unseating Roger Federer’s Grand Slam mark. The Swiss kingpin has 17 titles and doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.


Working Off of That Knee
How will his left knee hold up and will he have to tone down his level of participation this season? If he is truly 100 percent and healed he should be able to play a full 2013 schedule.
But that’s being optimistic. Knee injuries, especially in sport, are nagging and have lasting consequences, even more so if you elect to pass on surgery.
He should be able to compete for much of the year, but may likely run into some early obstacles if everything doesn’t go as planned at Sao Paulo.

 Final Outlook
 Nadal is still just 26 years old and has the right people in his corner advising him on how to complete this comeback. Overall, he should step away from this unfazed and be able to return to his previous form.
If he struggles and misses some tournaments in the early running, he may not get back to 100 percent in time to make a difference in some of the big tournaments early in 2013.
We really won’t know anything until he steps onto the court. But, we do know that he is undoubtedly hungry for action and will compete to his best ability.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1492026-outlook-for-rafael-nadal-in-comeback-2013-season

Rafael Nadal: Rafa Is Making Smart Decision Returning to Clay Court First

                                          Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

It's only appropriate that Rafael Nadal is making his return to the clay at the Chilean Open.
He was originally believed to be returning at the Brazil Open on Feb. 11. Instead, he has moved the return date up one week, to the Chilean Open (h/t ESPN, via The Associated Press).
Sometimes, it seems that the Spaniard was born on clay, considering his dominance on the surface. He's won seven of the last eight French Opens. There has been perhaps no player better on a single surface than Nadal on clay.
He has been out since Wimbledon last year with knee issues. They've been a nagging issue, so it was only a matter of time before he had to take a lengthy amount of time off.
The best thing that he could have done was to simply take a step away from the game. So much of his game is predicated on his stamina and ability to run down any shot. When he is more stationary, he's nowhere near as effective.
Despite the talent he has, Nadal needs to regain some confidence. It would be disastrous to have him start the season with absolutely no momentum He needs to kick off 2013 with some wins.

He's almost like a prizefighter who's being groomed. The fighter's manager will give him some easy fights to build his confidence up, and when the time's right, he gets the shot at the champion.
Nadal has missed so much match action that he needs to ease back into it. He can't simply jump back into a big tournament with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic before he's absolutely ready to tackle the best in the world.
The fields for the Brazil and Chilean Opens have some good players, but none of them are particularly daunting.
This is the way it needs to be for Rafa. He couldn't replicate the feeling that playing in a tournament can provide. It's a whole different beast when your tournament livelihood is on the line and you're down a couple of games in the deciding set.
Now, with plenty of rest, he's ready to get back into the swing of things, and there's no better way for that to happen than start him out on the clay.


Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1490054-rafael-nadal-rafa-is-making-smart-decision-returning-to-clay-court-first

Rafael Nadal to play in Vina Del Par

11-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has committed to play next tournament at Vina Del Par, an ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP World Tour.

Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has been training hard in gym along with his team, where he has preparing hard for the upcoming ATP tournaments next month. King of Clay has signed up for the Vina Del Par tournament, schedule to begin from 4th February and he will travel to Sao Paulo to play in the Brazil Open from 11th February.

26-year-old Nadal is also going to play in the Acapulco, which will start from 25th February being played here on outdoor clay courts. Spaniard is looking forward to return back to top form and hopes to clinch more titles before heading into the Monte Carlo and French Open. Nadal can play better tennis on clay courts at the moment than hard courts, as he suffered from knee injury from past seven months.

According to sources Nadal has been fit to come back to court again, where his fans are eagerly looking for the Spanish bull next month. Spanish star, who was skip from the Australian Open this month, he is very excited to be back to court for the first time from past seven months.

 Source: http://www.livetennisguide.com/2013/01/17/rafael-nadal-to-play-in-vina-del-par/

Rafael Nadal devance son retour au jeu

Madrid - L'Espagnol Rafael Nadal, qui devait faire sa rentrée à l'Open du Brésil (11-17 février), disputera finalement le tournoi de Vina del Mar au Chili une semaine plus tôt, a déclaré le joueur jeudi.

"Je suis heureux de confirmer ma participation au tournoi de Vina del Mar au Chili", écrit Nadal via son compte Twitter. "Je voudrais remercier les organisateurs pour leur invitation", a-t-il ajouté.

Le numéro 4 mondial confirme donc l'annonce faite un peu plus tôt par les organisateurs qu'il serait présent au Chili avant le Brésil, deux tournois mineurs de terre battue.

Eloigné des courts depuis sa défaite surprise au deuxième tour de Wimbledon face au Tchèque Lukas Rosol le 28 juin 2012 en raison d'une blessure à un genou, l'Espagnol avait dû reporter sa rentrée et renoncer à l'Open d'Australie, premier Grand Chelem de l'année 2013, en raison d'une infection virale.

Rafael Nadal: Tennis Star Must Be Cautious After Brazilian Open

On Feb. 11, the tennis world will get one of its most beloved and admired stars back on the court.
According to the Associated Press (via NBC Sports), Rafael Nadal will compete in the 2013 Brazilian Open, which will be the first time he's competed since injuring his left knee at Wimbledon.
Rafa was originally set to return at the Abu Dhabi exhibition and then compete in the 2013 Australian Open, but a stomach virus forced him out of action.
With the Spaniard nursing severe tendinitis in his knee over the course of the past five months, Nadal needs to be cautious in his return to the game that elevated him to fame.
While he undoubtedly picked a great time to come back—Nadal won the Brazilian Open in 2005 and the tournament will be played on a clay court, which will be easier on his knee—the 26-year-old has to be weary of playing on hard-surfaced courts in the tournaments following the Brazilian Open.


We all know of Rafa's dominance on the clay, but it'll be interesting to see how he fares when his knee has the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the hard surface.
There's no reason to doubt that Nadal will bounce back from this setback and retain his dominance over the tennis world, but he needs to be careful with a tender knee.
Being fairly young, Rafa still has a bright future ahead of him in the tennis world and can't afford to sustain another serious injury because he returned to action too soon.
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have enjoyed their time without having to contend with Nadal, but that time will come to an end in mid-February.
As long as Nadal eases his way back in and maybe holds out of some hard-surfaced tournaments, all signs point to Rafa returning to his dominant self in 2013.


Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1488208-rafael-nadal-tennis-star-must-be-cautious-after-brazilian-open

Con mucha ilusión de volver a Brasil! / Happy to be back soon in Brazil!

Nadal est inscrit à l'Omnium du Brésil

SAO PAULO, Brésil - L'Espagnol Rafael Nadal participera à l'Omnium du Brésil à Sao Paulo, où il pourrait revenir au jeu en février, après plusieurs mois d'absence.

Nadal, qui occupe le quatrième rang de l'ATP, n'a pas joué depuis Wimbledon en juin, en raison d'une tendinite au genou gauche. Le gagnant de onzes étapes du Grand chelem devait participer à un tournoi hors-concours d'Abu Dhabi, le mois dernier, mais un virus à l'estomac l'a forcé à se retirer de cet événement ainsi que des Internationaux d'Australie,

L'Omnium du Brésil se déroulera du 11 au 17 février. Il devrait être également présent à l'Omnium du Mexique à Acapulco, à compter du 25 février.

Rafael Nadal working out with Flavia Pennetta

 Both players continue their rehab in the gym

WTA star Flavia Pennetta is training with ATP star Rafael Nadal as both continue to rehab from their injuries.
Pennetta posted this picture on her Twitetr account of working out with Nadal in the gym.
Pennetta has neem recovering from a wrist injury while Nadal continues his preparations for a comeback next month. The world n. 4 has not played since June due to a knee injury. he was scheduled to come back earlier this month but a stomach infection forced him to pull out of the Australian circuit.
Also interesting to note that Pennetta was earlier dating Carlos Moya, long time friend and mentor of Nadal. Pennetta accused Moya of cheating on her and the couple broke up.

Source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-working-out-with-Flavia-Pennetta-articolo7883.html

Rafael Nadal thanks his fans for their continued support

 King of clay Rafael Nadal has been sidelined for more than six months now but there was not a single day during this period that his fans did not miss him.


King of clay Rafael Nadal has been sidelined for more than six months now but there was not a single day during this period that his fans did not miss him.
They continue to post the 11-time Grand Slam champion’s pictures and videos on social websites. Nadal has a huge fan base on facebook and hundreds of pages have been made in his honour. The Spaniard’s fans can be found counting days in wait of their idol’s comeback.
Nadal shared a video made by one of the fans on his official facebook and wrote this caption under that, “Thanks for a great job! At this time your support helps me to keep working.”
The Spanish star has not participated in any tournament since losing to Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic in the second round of Wimbledon in June last year. It’s close to seven months that we haven’t seen Nadal in action but they feel like ages.
Nadal’s fans were heart broken when that got to know that their favourite player would be unable to defend his Gold Medal at the London Olympics. Their sadness reached its height when they found out that he would not be playing the US Open either. They were already expecting him to stay from the ATP World Tour Finals, so that was not a big shock.
However, Nadal’s fans from around the globe were waiting for his return at the start of this season. The Spaniard was expected to feature at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi in the last week of 2012 and then make his tour comeback at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha three days later.
They were counting down days for the previous one and a half months but their hearts were broken once again when the Spanish hero announced that he would be unable to participate due to a stomach bug. Nadal not only announced his withdrawal from these two events but also the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open.
The Mallorca, Spain resident has millions of fans worldwide and the sport of tennis has not been same for them in his absence. The 26-year-old is now planning to make his comeback at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico in the second half of February.
Source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-thanks-his-fans-for-their-continued-support-articolo7808.html

Rafael Nadal admits he is missing playing the Australian Open

 World number four Rafael Nadal has shared that he is missing being in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open. However, he also wished that all the tennis players and fans enjoy the Grand Slam of Asia Pacific.

World number four Rafael Nadal has shared that he is missing being in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open. However, he also wished that all the tennis players and fans enjoy the Grand Slam of Asia Pacific.
Nadal, who withdrew from the first Major of the season due to lack of practice, posted on his twitter account, “The Australian Open is already underway. I miss being in Melbourne! Hope you enjoy the tournament!”
The Spaniard did not participate in even a single tournament in the second half of last year due to knee injury but he recovered and was scheduled to make comeback at the start of this season and then feature at the Australian Open. However, a stomach virus came in his way, forcing him to pull out of both warm up events he had planned to participate in.
After being unable to play the Mubadala Tennis Championship and Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Nadal realized that he was not properly prepared for the Australian Open, as he had not played any competitive match since losing to Lukas Rosol in the second round of Wimbledon in last June, and made a wise decision to not to risk his knees on the burning hard courts in Australian summer.
However, Nadal will surely miss being at the Australian Open. The 11-time Grand Slam champion won the title in Melbourne Park in 2009 after toppling Roger Federer in the final. He went down at the hands of Novak Djokovic in an epic five set thriller final last year. That encounter, lasting five hours and 53 minutes and being the longest Grand Slam final of all-time, is considered to be one of the best tennis matches in tennis history.
Tennis fans would not be able to witness a repeat of that match as Nadal has stayed from fourth straight big event. The 26-year-old first withdrew from London Olympics, then US Open, ATP World Tour Finals and now Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Djokovic made a perfect start to his title defense as he thrashed French player Paul Henri Mathieu in straight sets 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round.

Source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-admits-he-is-missing-playing-the-Australian-Open-articolo7873.html

Rafael Nadal Should Only Participate in Grand Slam Tournaments in 2013

                                          Clive Brunskill/Getty Images 


The 2013 Australian Open will still be played, but it just won't be the same without Rafael Nadal
As one of the members of the Big Three, also including Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Nadal is always one of the best players in the field, and he is one of the most exciting to watch.
But we may not see much of him this year.
Nadal has been plagued by injuries for months, dating back to when he missed the US Open in August (per SportsonEarth.com) and was forced to pull out of the World Tour in October (per Huffinton Post).
We haven't seen the true Rafa in almost a year, and it's come to the point where he must sit out and rest until the next Grand Slam.
Nadal is an experienced player with a lot of talent, but it has been wasted during his injuries. He hasn't been playing like himself when he can manage to get out on the court because he still isn't 100 percent when he tries to come back.
This must end now.


Nadal has played long enough to know his limits. However, he still pushes them. Instead, Rafa should be resting until it's time for him to walk out onto the biggest stage once more.
Playing in events that aren't Grand Slams is pointless for him. He's already built his legacy, and we know that he can play incredibly well when at full strength.
By resting until the last minute, he will be ready for the biggest events of the year, where he will come out like the champion he is.
Everyone wants a healthy Nadal back. Even his opponents do, including fellow Spaniard David Ferrer (per TheAustralian.com).
"The good news is he doesn't have pain in the knees, so that's the most important," he said.

I spoke with him few days ago. He was sick with a virus, and he preferred to stop (practising). And he will come back in South America (Acapulco in February).
I have confidence that when he comes back he will play good.
Maybe not in his first tournaments because they are often tough, but I am sure he is coming back to number two or number one in the world.

Ferrer is not alone, as some of the game's brightest stars have also spoke out on the matter (h/t SportsonEarth.com).

"And so, said [Roger] Federer, 'That's why there's such a shock to it now that Rafa pulled out.'
'Well, it is strange because he hasn't missed a Slam for a long time,' [Novak] Djokovic said.
'The energy he brings to the match court is incredible, so tennis will definitely, definitely miss him while he's not playing,' Andy Murray said.

We all want a healthy Rafa.
We all want to see Nadal in Grand Slams.
So why not just limit him to the fabled events?

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1484684-rafael-nadal-should-only-participate-in-grand-slam-tournaments-in-2013

Classement ATP/ ATP Ranks

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12.920 pts

2. Roger Federer (SUI) 10.265

3. Andy Murray (GBR) 8000

4. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6600

5. David Ferrer (ESP) 6505

6. Tomas Berdych (Rép. t.) 4680

7. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 4480

8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3375

9. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 3090

10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2720

11. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 2515

12. Juan Monaco (ARG) 2430

13. John Isner (É.-U.) 2215

14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2210

15. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2175

16. Gilles Simon (FRA) 2145

17. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 1900

18. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 1870

19. Philip Kohlschreiber (ALL) 1830

20. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 1750

Rafael Nadal: 2013 Australian Open Won't Be the Same Without Rafa

                                         Matthew Stockman/Getty Images 


The 2013 Australian Open draw was released Thursday and bigger than the seed of any star was the absence of another: Rafael Nadal.
Rafa was one of the Big Three that we tennis fans always looked to when draws came out, checking where he stacked up along with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Now with Nadal out of the mix, Djokovic and Federer are on a crash-course to meet in the finals and we won't see two members of the Big Three face off until they meet with the championship on the line.
At the risk of sounding like an old geezer reminiscing about "the good ol' days," I have to say that this tournament just won't be the same.
Remember long, long ago when Federer and Nadal battled for the No. 1 ranking all by themselves? And then a newcomer named Novak Djokovic came along? And then the Djoker overtook our two reigning champs?
In those days, we would be able to watch two members face off in the semifinals, and then again in the finals.


In those days, getting the No. 1 seed meant that you didn't have to deal with another member of the Big Three until the finals.
In those days, everything was right with the world. The grass was greener, the sky bluer, etc.
But on a more serious note, I think it's worth pointing out that this is not how the 2013 Grand Slam season should open.
Yes, Rafa needs to rest and make sure that he is healthy for the majority of the year, but this tournament won't have the same grandeur, allure and mystique that the 2012 Grand Slam events had.
The Australian Open will still have great tennis and be worth watching, but it just won't be the same without Rafa.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1480045-rafael-nadal-2013-australian-open-wont-be-the-same-without-rafa

Tennis sur TSN/ Tennis on TSN (Canada)

DATE	TSN	TIME
Jan 14th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	1:00 PM
Jan 15th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	1:00 PM
Jan 15th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	9:00 PM
Jan 16th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	3:00 AM
Jan 16th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	1:00 PM
Jan 16th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	11:00 PM
Jan 17th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	3:00 AM
Jan 17th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Second Round	1:00 PM
Jan 17th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	11:00 PM
Jan 18th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	3:00 AM
Jan 20th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Round of 16	9:00 PM

DATE	TSN2	TIME
Jan 13th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	6:30 PM
Jan 14th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	3:00 AM
Jan 14th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	9:00 PM
Jan 15th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: First Round	3:00 AM
Jan 18th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	1:00 PM
Jan 18th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	9:30 PM
Jan 19th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	3:00 AM
Jan 19th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Third Round	3:00 PM
Jan 19th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Round of 16	9:00 PM
Jan 20th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Round of 16	3:00 AM
Jan 20th	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Round of 16	3:30 PM
Jan 22nd	2013 Australian Open Tennis: Men's & Women's Quarterfinals	9:00 PM

Learn to Return Like (Part 1): Nadal

Australian Open 2013: Why Rafael Nadal's Withdrawal Was the Right Call

On December 28, 2012, and 18 days before the 2013 Australian Open, Rafael Nadal withdrew from the major in Melbourne citing a stomach bug, and while the unpopular decision perpetuated rumors surrounding the uncertainty of his career, it was the right call for two reasons.  
First, let's go back and recap all of the highs and lows of Rafa's turbulent 2012.
He began the year by making the finals in the Australian Open where he lost in five sets to Novak Djokovic.
Nadal then went on to beat Djoker at Roland Garros for his record-breaking seventh French Open title.
On June 28, 2012, the 26-year-old Spaniard suffered an inexplicable second-round loss at Wimbledon to Lukas Rosol. Following the five-set loss to Rosol, Rafa issued the following statement. (via David Mercer of BBC Sport)

I played a great fourth set. He came back [after the delay to close the roof] and played unbelievable in the fifth.

The only thing I can do is go back home and rest, and I need and deserve it.
I'm very, very disappointed [but] it's not a tragedy, it's only a tennis match.

Lukas Rosol shaking hands with Rafael Nadal after defeating him at Wimbledon 2012.
Clive Rose/Getty Images

Nadal did go home and rest, forgoing the U.S. Open, and he hasn't played competitively since.
So why on earth would it be the right call to extend his absence and pull out of the Australian Open?

The Choice to Come Back May Not Have Been Rafa's Call to Make
I'm not in the business of fostering conspiracies—that is up to you, the reader—but it's been hard to ignore the widespread speculation that the Spaniard's six-month vacancy has been tied to a possible doping punishment.
These allegations were so overwhelming among tennis fans that Nadal's media manager Benito Barbadillo addressed them in a live chat on the UbiTennis site. 
Barbadillo strongly came to Nadal's defense, ultimately hoping that there be more transparency and openness on player testing.
Barbadillo makes a good point, but in the interim, he's been busy dispelling the rumors that his client is quietly serving a ban.

Rust Must Have Been a Factor—Nadal Just Doesn't Casually Miss Majors
As anxious as Nadal's peers and fans were to see the 26-year-old compete at the Australian Open, the reasons for delaying his return make a lot of sense.
Via ESPN:

My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors. But this virus didn't allow me to practice this past week, and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open.

Rafa clearly isn't ready to play seven best-of-five matches yet, and athlete's like him won't enter a tournament unless they feel like they have a great chance to win.

I always said that my return to competition will be when I am in the right conditions to play. And after all this time away from the courts, I'd rather not accelerate the comeback and prefer to do things well.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1468800-australian-open-2013-why-rafael-nadals-withdrawal-was-the-right-call

Classement ATP/ ATP Ranks

Classement ATP au 7 janvier :

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12 920 pts
2. Roger Federer (SUI) 10265
3. Andy Murray (GBR) 8000
4. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6600
5. David Ferrer (ESP) 6505
6. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4680
7. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 4480
8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3375
9. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 3090
10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2720
11. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 2515
12. Juan Monaco (ARG) 2430
13. John Isner (USA) 2215 (+1)
14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2210 (+1)
15. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2175 (-2)
16. Gilles Simon (FRA) 2145
17. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 1900
18. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 1870 (+1)
19. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 1770 (+1)
20. Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. (UKR) 1750 (-2)

Rafael Nadal visits the club where he started tennis

Former world number one Rafael Nadal recently visited the tennis club in his home city Manacor where he started playing tennis as a kid.
The Spaniard wrote on his facebook page, “Visiting the club where I grew up. Here I took my first steps into the world of tennis.”
Nadal started to play tennis at a very young age. According to Wikipedia, his uncle Toni Nadal, who has been coaching him from the very start until now, introduced him to tennis for the first time when he was just three years old.
The Spanish boy won an under-12 regional tennis championship when he was just eight years old. After four years, he captured Spanish and European Under-12 titles.
Nadal was also a very good football player till that time but then his father made him choose one sport and he opted for tennis. The Spaniard once said in an interview, "I chose tennis. Football had to stop straight away."
The Spaniard not only started playing tennis at a very young age but also won many laurels. At the age of 15 years, he defeated 1987 Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash in an exhibition match in 2001. He turned professional during the same year. Nadal participated in just two ITF junior events, reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon Juniors category in 2002 and guiding Spain to victory over US in junior Davis Cup two years later in his second event.
When Roger Federer was considered almost unbeatable, Nadal defeated him in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 32 of the Sony Ericsson Open in his very first meeting with the Swiss Maestro, being just 17 years old at that time.
Nadal became the youngest player to reach the third round of Wimbledon since Boris Becker in 2003. When he was 19-year-old, the Spaniard won his first Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open, when he was making his first appearance at the Roland Garros.
The Spanish star has won 11-Grand Slams until now and is considered one of the best tennis players of all-time. He has not played any tournament in the last six months and has already withdrawn from this month’s Australian Open but the 26-year-old is expected to make comeback with a bang during the clay court season.

 Source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-visits-the-club-where-he-started-tennis-articolo7727.html

Rafael Nadal "avait ses billets d’avion pour l’Open Australie 2013" et reviendra à Acapulco

Toni Nadal dédramatise le forfait de Rafael Nadal pour Melbourne, confirme que le Majorquin pourrait revenir avant Acapulco et rêve d'un circuit plein de terre battue.

Pendant que Rafael Nadal postait, à minuit précise, un message de bonne année sur les réseaux sociaux, accompagné d’une photo le montrant souriant au coin du feu en train de manger du raisin, son oncle et entraîneur Toni indiquait sur les ondes espagnoles que son neveu n’excluait pas de revenir sur les courts avant le tournoi d’Acapulco. "La question de savoir s’il peut revenir avant n’est pas tranchée, a-t-il confirmé sur la Cadena Ser. On verra bien. Acapulco, c'est ce qui est planifié pour l'instant. Mais la décision de revenir un peu plus tôt dépendra des sensations de Rafa". Le tournoi d’Acapulco, au Mexique, sera le premier ATP500 de la saison sur terre battue à partir du 25 février. Mais d’autres villes sud-américaines, qui organisent des 250, sont maintenant en effervescence, nourries de l’espoir d’accueillir le retour de Nadal, notamment Sao Paulo au Brésil (11-17 février) et Buenos Aires en Argentine (18-24 février). Toni Nadal, énigmatique, n’exclut pas la possibilité d’un retour "en Europe ou ailleurs".
Ces sensations, justement, étaient plutôt bonnes avant le forfait du Majorquin pour Abu Dhabi, Doha puis Melbourne. "Nous nous sommes entraînés en décembre à un très bon niveau. Il lui manque la compétition, qui est quelque chose de différent, mais j’ai bon espoir de le voir retrouver un bon niveau en 2013", assure Toni. En soulignant que Nadal n’a fait que suivre un avis médical autorisé en "zappant" un nouveau tournoi du Grand Chelem, l'oncle cherche aussi à battre en brèche l'idée que le genou gauche blessé en 2012 reste capricieux. "Nous avions déjà nos billets d’avion pour l’Australie quand le virus a fait son apparition, jure Toni en référence au virus intestinal qui a coupé net la préparation du neveu. Nous avons décidé de ne pas y aller sur les conseils du docteur de la fédération espagnole. Après plusieurs mois sans jouer, reprendre la compétition avec un tournoi au meilleur des cinq sets n’était pas prudent. On ne s’est pas dit ‘ce sera un forfait de plus’ , on a simplement fait ce que le médecin nous a dit de faire."
Cela dit, Toni Nadal n’est pas encore en mesure de prédire monts et merveille pour le futur numéro cinq mondial. "Notre souhait est très clair : c’est qu’il puisse jouer, rien de plus. Qu’il soit en mesure de jouer et nous verrons ensuite comment ça se passe." Acapulco aura au moins l’avantage de permettre à Nadal de revenir sur la surface où il se sent en confiance pour son corps. "La terre battue, c’est mieux pour son genou, et pour tout le reste, confirme le coach de toujours. On a été prévenu il y a déjà quelques années qu’il ne devrait jouer que sur terre. La réalité, c’est que le Tour se joue majoritairement sur dur, et qu’on a dû faire ce que le Tour nous commandait de faire…" Le match entre les médecins de Nadal et les programmateurs du circuit a déjà repris en 2013.

 Source: http://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/rafael-nadal-avait-ses-billets-davion-pour-lopen-australie-2013-et-reviendra-a-acapulco_sto3551067/story.shtml

Rafael Nadal wishes you a "Happy New Year"