Spanish tennis star Rafa Nadal reiterated Monday that finishing his career in 2024 remains his goal, while admitting he has taken two operations to try and heal his hip injury.
“I said that possibly 2024 was my last year, I maintain that, but I can not confirm it 100 percent because I do not know,” Nadal told Movistar.
The 37-year-old announced in May that the hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January meant he had to step away from the sport to try and come back stronger.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, reiterated on Monday that he “would like to play again and be competitive again”.
“My hope is not to return to win Roland Garros or win (in) Australia, so that people are not confused, all that is a long way off,” he said.
“I am well aware of the difficulties that I face, one is insurmountable, that is age, and the other are physical problems.
Nadal had two surgeries on his hip injury, one of which he announced publicly in June which was set to take around five months to heal.
Nadal underwent surgery that forced him to pull out of the French Open and he held a press conference in May suggesting he is planning to make a comeback and play one final year in 2024.
The slow nature of his recovery from a hip problem sustained at last January’s Australian Open has fuelledrumours that Nadal may never return to action.
Yet in a sit-down interview with Movistar+, Nadal answered many of the questions that have been swirling around him in recent months, as he confirmed he is still hopeful of playing tournament
Confirming he still only training for 40 minutes a day on the court and golf is the only competitive sport he can play at the moment, he insisted any comeback at next year’s Australian Open or French Open may happen with limited expectations.
“My dream is to play again, to be competitive again, not to win at Roland-Garros or in Australia,” said Nadal.
“At this time in my life, I am very far away (from challenging for major titles). I am not saying it is impossible because things in sport change very quickly.
“But since Indian Wells last year, it has been a hard year and a half, with no peace of mind at all. The results mask the reality of day-to-day life.
“Without surgery, I was not going to recover by stopping for a long time. I made the decision and apparently, it turned out well.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do in 2024, because because of the way I am, I can’t be clear.
“My way of facing the year changes depending on the objectives. I don’t even have the need to respond to myself. My hope is in two months to know how and where I am.
“Yes, I can play but I am not in a position to win at Roland-Garros because maybe I would like a farewell tour. These are answers that I cannot give now.”
