Rafael Nadal takes to Twitter on his 37th birthday and provides updates on his health condition post major hip surgery
The good part about Nadal these days is he communicates well with whatever his problems are and related progress.
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Rafael Nadal (Image Credits: Twitter/Jose Moron)
It was heartening to read Rafael Nadal post a series of tweets from his own Twitter handle a day after his arthroscopic surgery on his left hip. That he had to do this on his 37th birthday on Saturday was a bit odd, as he should have been gracing the clay courts at the French Open in Paris.
Be that as it may, whether you love Nadal or hate Nadal, depending on which side of the fan fence you are perched on, it is good to know the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles underwent a major medical procedure successfully. The rest, recovery, and rehab period of five months, as predicted, will be a long one. However, going through the medical literature jargon available in plenty on the internet, such surgeries often guarantee full recovery, with a success rate of 90 percent.
At a time when the French Open is peaking, there is no doubt hardcore clay court tennis fans are missing Nadal. Had the left-hander been an active player and been gunning for his 15th title in Paris, he may have been cutting a cake on June 3 near the tennis courts. That he returned home after the surgery and updated fans is great news.
“Hello everyone. As you know last night (Friday) I had surgery. Everything went well and the arthroscopy was on the left psoas tendon that has kept me out of competition since January. An old injury to the labrum of my left hip was also regularized, which will surely help the better evolution of the tendon. I want to thank doctors Marc Philippon, Jaume Vilaró and Angel Ruiz-Cotorro for their work.
I will start progressive functional rehabilitation immediately and the normal recovery process they tell me is 5 months, if all goes well,” tweeted Nadal. All his tweets were in Spanish.
The good part about Nadal these days is he communicates well with whatever his problems are and related progress. One really does not need motor-mouth Uncle Toni Nadal to provide updates. When Rafa walked out of the Australian Open this January in pain, nay agony, it made for sad viewing. Rafa lost to Mackenzie McDonald and the following weeks were one of turmoil. After he flew out of Melbourne, Rafael Nadal made his MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) report public. Rest was prescribed, though the long break did not help.
Finally, the worst news came in mid-May when Nadal spoke of taking a long break from tennis. At that time, one was not sure what would be the plan of action, medically, for Nadal. In the normal course, athletes go through pain in many different ways. Nobody makes an impulsive decision on a big surgery so easily unless it is a matter of life and death. For a man who has played an extremely physical game all his life, there has been intense body wear and tear.
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However, Rafa has bounced back pretty well, which saw him win two Majors in 2022, at the Australian Open and the French Open. This year has been unkind to Rafa, but that’s how life is. His friend Roger Federer had to quit tennis following three surgeries on his knee last year. All of it left Federer almost crippled in terms of lacking fitness to play tennis. So, when the Laver Cup was held in 2022, it became a big, emotional tear-shedding exercise with commercial value for the Big 3 as well as fans.
To be sure, Nadal is not shedding tears, post-surgery. This is the most positive update he can give after his surgery, which has been performed by doctors he trusts. As one who has flirted with injuries and ailments in various parts of his anatomy, one major surgery is concerning. Reams have been written on how this surgery can wreck Nadal’s career.
Well, heartless hacks can be ruthless with words, for, when a man is in trouble, you have to be positive. The best part is, Rafael Nadal is himself not trying to race against the clock. He has expressed a desire to compete in 2024 and then wave goodbye. Will it include Majors and the 2024 Paris Olympics, time will tell.
A long break from tennis after surgery does not mean Nadal is going to be in bed. He has already offered more than a hint he will begin rehab soon. Maybe, these next five or six months will help him heal. And when one talks of healing, it is not necessarily in reference to the champion getting fully fit and grind out five-setters like in the past. One must not forget tennis has seen major comebacks. Someone like Thomas Muster underwent almost complete knee reconstruction after a freak car accident to play good tennis again.
Then again, Andy Murray, despite a partial hip replacement surgery, has come back to thrill fans. He is going to have one last fling in the grass court season, leading up to The Championships at Wimbledon this July. These strong stories of athletes fighting back offer hope Nadal can once again grace the tennis courts, even if it be for an emotional farewell in 2024. Maybe, he can surprise tennis fans at the end of 2023 as well if he plays the Davis Cup after full recovery.
Boy, what an eventful 37th birthday update from Rafael Nadal!
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S Kannan
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