Rafael Nadal warned by Jim Courier to avoid Roger Federer’s mistakes ahead of his comeback in apparent farewell season

In a recent interview, Nadal revealed that his return is not very far away now.

Rafael Nadal warned by Jim Courier to avoid Roger Federer’s mistakes ahead of his comeback in apparent farewell season

Rafael Nadal (L), Roger Federer (R) (Sources: Tennis365, CBC)

Rafael Nadal suffered a hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open and has been away from the court ever since. The Spaniard took an entire year to recover but is finally showing signs of progress now. He has already started to train again and is attempting to make a return to tennis soon.

However, former American tennis player Jim Courier has warned Rafa not to repeat the mistake that Roger Federer made with his return in 2021 in the twilight of his career. 

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Federer suffered an injury in the 2020 Wimbledon and was eliminated from the tournament in the second round. The Swiss international made a much-awaited comeback in March 2021, but he hurried through the process and thus, Federer could not add any trophy to his much-decorated trophy cabinet after that. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 Championships, where he suffered a defeat against Hubert Hurkacz, and that was his final Grand Slam appearance. 

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What we hope not to see is what happened to Roger. You know, Roger really worked hard to come back and he was ready, but all it took was one bad move, one little misstep and that was the end for him. Even though Federer's greatness at the time allowed him to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, I just hope this kind of scenario doesn't happen again for Nadal. But be careful, any return of Rafa to the court, particularly at Roland Garros, would be welcome.
Jim Courier via Tennis Channel

Nadal is giving regular updates about his recovery and training to his fans through social media. The Spaniard recently posted a reel on his Instagram account where he could be seen doing an intense workout and cardio session. In a recent interview, Nadal also revealed that his comeback is not very far away. 

Rafael Nadal makes bold public admission ahead of his return 

Ahead of his much-awaited comeback, Nadal has already said in a recent statement that he is practically aware that he will probably not win Grand Slam events after his return. The Spaniard said that it would be difficult to return to a high level of tennis and he asked his fans not to keep any high hopes. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Source: Sky Sports)
I don’t know to what level I will be able to return, but I have never lost this illusion. I haven't played in a year and for me, my personal success is maintaining the excitement of playing again. 

However, the Spaniard also clarified that if he did not have the hope of being competitive again, he would not have done the work put in all these months after having such a long career. He wants to get back to winning ways, but is also practical about it. 

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