A short break to recharge the batteries, then immediately to work. Rafael Nadal has already returned to the field to prepare for the 2021 season, which everyone hopes will be closer to normal than the one that has just ended. The Mallorcan has published a photo on social networks in which he intends to train on the track.
“Back to work! I took a few days off after London, now I’m back to training and routine,” the Spaniard wrote in the caption. Nadal finished 2020 in second place in the ATP rankings after winning Roland Garros and being eliminated in the semi-finals of the London Finals.
Speaking in an interview for Santander Private Banking clients, Nadal said that if Roger Federer’s recovery goes well and he regains full form, he will come back better and stronger than ever.
Rafael Nadal on the return of Roger Federer
“I think if Roger Federer recovers properly and feels ready to prepare, I think he will come back in full force,” Rafael Nadal said.
The Spaniard said that Federer, with all his achievements in tennis, has nothing to prove to anyone. “He has nothing left to prove, he has shown that as long as he is doing well, he can play at the highest level,” said Nadal.
The Spanish tennis champion, who is currently at the height of Federer with twenty Grand Slam apiece, said the Swiss player has maintained his fitness levels despite reaching the twilight of his career. “And I think physically he has kept fit and if he is able to play without pain I think he will compete again,” said the Spaniard.
Nadal refused to get involved in a debate about Federer’s future in tennis. “I don’t know how long it will continue,” he said. “I think it’s great if you ask me if I’d rather be the one to win the Grand Slam, yes I would.
I think it’s good for tennis too that Federer comes back with a fighting spirit, and we have this rivalry. I think this makes this sport that much bigger, looking at it from a global point of view, not from my personal point of view.
I think it’s entertaining and good for our sport, ”Nadal said. The 20-time Grand Slam champion does not have “ many good memories ” of 2020, but he expressed his gratitude that his loved ones were not affected by the pandemic.
“The positive is that those closest to me are safe and well, and none of them suffered much from the pandemic,” Rafael Nadal said. “The first thing for me is the health of my people, always. So we all know that it has been a year to be unhappy with.
A year in which many people have died and a year that will have negative consequences for the future. So no, there aren’t that many good memories from 2020. ”