“Matter of time, he will be back,” Rafael Nadal receives sympathy of fans as he exits the Top-100 for the first time since 2002

Fans expect Rafael Nadal to make a strong comeback after falling out of top-100 rankings for the first time since 2002.

“Matter of time, he will be back,” Rafael Nadal receives sympathy of fans as he exits the Top-100 for the first time since 2002

Rafael Nadal (Image Credits: FREY - TENNIS PHOTO NETWORK)

2023 will be counted as one of the worst years in Rafael Nadal’s storied career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion first got knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open.

Then, the Spaniard struggled with a hip injury and missed every tournament after that, even giving the clay court season a skip. Many expected him to at least take part in the French Open, where Nadal has as many as 14 titles to his name, and even Nadal tried his best to get ready for the mega tournament.

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However, another bad news came when Nadal announced that he wouldn’t be able to take any further part in 2023, even withdrawing from Roland Garros for the first time since 2005.

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The King of Clay also dropped a bombshell by predicting 2024 as his last season as a professional tennis player. Now another shocker has come. The latest released Pepperstone ATP Rankings show Nadal dropping to 136th position, the first time since 2002 that the Spaniard has found himself out of the top 100.

Keep Exploring: Latest ATP rankings post the 2023 French Open Finals: Novak Djokovic returns to the World No.1 spot, Rafael Nadal exits the Top-100

Fans expect Rafael Nadal to come back stronger

Rafael Nadal takes to Twitter on his 37th birthday and provides updates on his health condition post major hip surgery
Rafael Nadal (Image Credits: Twitter/Jose Moron)

As soon as the rankings were released, fans were disappointed to see Nadal dropping out of the top 100. This was inevitable since the 36-year-old hardly played on the ATP Circuit this year. Though fans are still taking time to accept this fact, they are optimistic that their superstar will make a grand comeback after he recovers from the injury.

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:

Earlier in June, Nadal underwent surgery to fix the problem in his troubling hip. While no timeline has been set for his return to court, doctors who operated on the Spaniard are optimistic that if all goes well, Nadal will be ready in time for next year’s Australian Open. If Nadal manages to get back on the court for his very last run, there will be nothing like it, as everybody wants to see this legend retire on his own terms.

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