Can Rafael Nadal win a Grand Slam in 2022?

Rafael Nadal has been one of the biggest names in tennis history and brought along the Golden age of men’s tennis. He has the record for the most number of Grand Slam titles in men’s singles in history, shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, and this trio is called the Big Three.

Nadal currently has 88 ATP singles titles to his name, the 4th highest to any player. Some raise concerns about his form and his age catching up to his ability. But only time can tell whether the player can make a comeback in full form. Djokovic had said the Big Three will redefine the next generation of tennis.

He is a former world no.1 and has been ranked No.1 for 209 weeks. While Nadal is one of the most successful tennis players ever, his injuries and loss in form have raised questions about his future in the court.

Will 2022 bring the 21st Grand Slam to Rafael Nadal?

In 2021, Nadal had an injury-shortened season where he constantly had problems with his foot throughout the time he was playing and he also missed some major tournaments because of it. Nadal retired from the 2021 season in August, just before the US Open.

In November, Nadal confirmed that he has overcome his foot injury and that he is ready to go back to the court. “My plan is to play Abu Dhabi in December and then in a tournament before Australia and then the Australian Open,” Rafael Nadal confirmed. Nadal played in the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship where he lost to Andy Murray in the semifinal and also tested positive for COVID-19 afterward.

Rafael is currently ranked as the no.6 singles player in the world and there is no doubt that if completely fit, he is a force to reckon. Nadal stands a very good chance of winning a Slam title in 2022 and he will also have to play against his long-time rivals like Djokovic and Federer. Nadal won the Italian Open and Barcelona Open in 2021, proving he can climb the already high numbers even more.

Once again, Roland Garros will be Nadal’s best bet to clinch his 21st slam. Given the current level at which Djokovic and the NextGen players are playing, a hard court slam or Wimbledon looks unlikely for Nadal- but again, ruling out Nadal is never a right option!

Also read: “Novak Djokovic won’t play, don’t know if Rafa will play the Australian Open”: Andrey Rublev