Rafa Nadal is returning, the Majorcan champion is ready for the ATP in Barcelona

John

By John

Rafa Nadal is ready. On the eve of his debut in the Barcelona tournament, where the Italian Flavio Cobolli awaits him, the Majorcan dissolves his last reservations and confirms his return to the circuit 102 days after his last match, against Jordan Thompson in Brisbane. “On a personal level it is a gift to be here, I will play as if it were the last time in Barcelona – Nadal's words – I want to enjoy every moment. Life has a beginning and an end and the same goes for sport. I will face this tournament like it's my last time here, I'll try to be competitive, I'll do everything I can and we'll see what happens.” Nadal assures that he is not in Barcelona to do a catwalk even if the fear of a new injury after the abdominal injury that has kept him in the box from February to today is always there: “The worst thing that could happen to me is that I have to stop new. And it can happen. You have to live with the uncertainty of not knowing what can happen, I just want to think that I'm ready to play tomorrow, rather than complain about what I could have done to be here. I will continue as long as it's worth it, I don't set a deadline.” For Nadal also the first match on clay after 681 days, the 2022 Roland Garros final won against Ruud: “The next day I was on crutches. I had many problems but it's part of life”.