Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports

'Convinced he’s competitive again,' Rafael Nadal’s training week with Arthur Fils has been more than impressive warns Carlos Moya

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Nikhil Sonmali | Last updated 12/17/23

Rafael Nadal is all set to make his comeback in January at the Australian Open. The Spaniard returns to the court after almost 350+ days owing to his hip injury. Missing the entire 2023 season and so many major tournaments, Rafa announced his comeback last month.

There were various narratives about the shape and momentum of the Spaniard after his comeback to the court. The veteran player is currently in Kuwait in his tennis academy where is training with the runner-up of the ATP Nextgen Finals Arthur Fils.

Rafa’s coach Carlos Moya has shared a major update on the Spaniard’s form. In the conversation with ATP Tour ES, Moya said,

The last few 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 here thinking that he was not going to be competitive, that he was not going to be up to par, and he leaves convinced that he might be.

During the ATP Nextgen finals, Rafa invited the young player to come and train with him in Kuwait. The practice sessions have been very beneficial to Rafa, as Moya remarked. Moreover, the training session with a veteran like Rafa can also help young Fils to learn so much from him and gain new perspectives about his game.

Carlos Moyà on Rafael Nadal’s week of training in Kuwait, and his increasing level:

“The last few 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… pic.twitter.com/RBMeRjraOT
— Olly (@Olly_Tennis_) December 16, 2023

Rafael Nadal all set to make a swashbuckling comeback in the 2024 Australian Open

After almost a year Rafael Nadal will be returning to the court. His last match was also in the Australian Open, where he lost in the second round to Mackenzie McDonald. Making a comeback probably in his last professional season, Rafa will be looking to make a dream comeback. The only backdrop for Rafa is how he would transition from training to professional competitions.

Moreover, the frequency of the matches in the Grand Slam would also challenge Rafa in his comeback after the injury. It would be interesting how he came up with the speed of the Majors where he would have to play five-set matches with only a day’s rest.

However, practice sessions in Kuwait and the Brisbane International before the Australian Open will help the Spaniard to get into match fitness. As the season commences in January, the entire tennis world is excited for Rafa’s comeback. Moreover, it would be interesting to see how things would turn up for him against his old foe and career rival, Novak Djokovic.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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