- Rafael Nadal is yet to congratulate Novak Djokovic
- This follows his 2023 US Open victory
- Nadal has been absent from competitive play since sustaining a hip injury in January
Rafael Nadal is yet to congratulate Novak Djokovic on his remarkable 24th Grand Slam victory at the US Open and blames it on ignorance.
However, he has all the intentions to do so. Additionally, Nadal acknowledged that he has fewer acquaintances remaining within the professional tennis circuit, attributing this to generational differences.
But even with all this, he says that he still engages in occasional conversations with his friend and former rival, Roger Federer who retired in 2022.
Nadal has been absent from competitive play since sustaining a hip injury that resulted in his exit during the second round of the Australian Open in January.
He initially anticipated to be back for the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open as his team put him on a six to eight-weeks recovery calendar.
Rafael Nadal. Photo/Rafael Nadal Fans
However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion underwent surgery in June and announced his retirement in 2024 after playing at Roland Garros.
His prolonged recovery led to the postponement of his anticipated return to action this year which saw Djokovic win three out of the four Grand Slams.
Djokovic won the 2023 French Open, the Australian Open and most recently the US Open.
Weeks after the curtains closed on the New York event, Nadal is yet to reach out to the Serbian tennis star.
In an interview with Movistar+, Nadal said that he will do the needful and reach out to Djokovic.
“The truth is that I haven’t sent any message to Djokovic yet out of pure ignorance. When you win something so important, from experience I know it’s better to take the time to appreciate that message. I’ll send it but I haven’t done it yet,” the Spaniard said.
In retrospect, he always texts Carlos Alcaraz during his matches because he is one of the few friends he has on Tour.
Meanwhile, Nadal is prepping for his comeback in his tennis career and he is happy that he is recovering well from an injury he underwent an operation for early this year.
Nadal is currently training at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca and he has laid out a plan for what is likely to be his final year in tennis.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion underwent a medical procedure at a clinic in Barcelona in June and openly admitted that he wasn’t certain if he would ever return to the sport.
Rafael Nadal clay court. Photo/CNN
However, his team has provided an update, stating that the arthroscopic procedure on his left psoas tendon was successful. It involved the cleaning and reinforcement of damaged areas.
Doctors also addressed an older labrum injury that posed a big challenge to his bid to defend his Australian Open title in January.
Nadal will play all his favourite tournaments among them the French Open which he has won 14 times. His dominance at the French Open is due to his incredible clay-court game.
He is known for his powerful forehand and his ability to slide on the clay, which gives him an extra edge over his opponents.
Nadal’s 14 French Open titles is one of the greatest achievements in tennis history. He is considered by many to be the greatest clay-court player of all time.
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