Rafael Nadal will need time to get the rhythm back before he is at the top of his game, according to former world No.2 Alex Corretja.
The 20-time Grand Slam hasn’t played a match on the Tour since the Washington Open in August due to a foot injury. Nadal suffers from Nadal Muller-Weiss syndrome which has bothered him in recent years. It is a degenerative disease that causes a deformity of one of the bones in the central part of the foot. Earlier this year he underwent treatment on his foot in Barcelona.
Now on the comeback, Nadal is set to start his return this week at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. An exhibition event in Abu Dhabi which he has won a record five times since it began back in 2009. It will be his first test ahead of the new season which will begin in Australia.
However, Corretja says he is staying cautious about how the Spaniard will fare in the event which will get underway on Thursday. The two-time French Open finalist doubts Nadal’s court speed will be back to his usual standard due to his absence from the Tour which will have an impact on his performance.
“What worries me the most about Rafa’s recovery are his movements,” Corretja told Eurosport. “His mobility on the court, his intensity, the way he is going to move, the way he will do the supports when he hits the ball.
“When he moves well and is well supported to hit his backhand and arrives perfectly to play with his parallel forehand and dominate, Rafa is almost impossible to beat. The problem is how he gets to that ball so he can be well supported and hit well.
“That extra half second that he needs today is what worries me the most. The rest, I think it’s a matter of time before he picks up some rhythm.”
Recently Nadal has been training at his academy in Kuwait and even participated in an exhibition match earlier this week. He also took part in a question and answer session before departing for the United Arab Emirates which is where the Mubadala World Tennis Championship is held.
Nadal’s first match will be against either Andy Murray or late replacement Dan Evans. Evans joined the field after Dominic Thiem withdrew due to concerns over his current fitness levels. Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov and Taylor Fritz are the other players taking part in the men’s tournament.
“I think it would be nice to see him [play Andy Murray first in Abu Dhabi], because he is a very smart player who knows perfectly how to play against Rafa,” Corretja commented. “I think playing with Andy can give him a necessary rhythm to play two-and-a-half hours in a very tough match, but at a pace that he likes.”
The exhibition event will begin on Thursday with Nadal playing his first match on Friday.
