Rafael Nadal Resumes Training Following Injury Layoff
14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has officially resumed training following a premature ending to his 2014 season on the tour due to appendix surgery and later a wrist injury.
“I began to train two days ago and yesterday, I played tennis for the first time. It is a strange feeling as I didn’t have much rhythm and my body hurt, but that is nothing unusual,” Nadal was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis during the Shanghai Rolex Masters in September and did not end his 2014 season until a quarter-final loss to 17-year-old Borna Coric in Basel. He eventually withdrew from the Paris Bercy and the ATP World Tour Finals and underwent successful surgery to rectify the problem. He also had his knees checked and underwent stem cell therapy.
“I hope now to be able to train well in December and lay the foundation for when the tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Doha start, so I can use those to recover my rhythm,” explained Nadal.
Nadal revealed that he was also recovering from a minor wrist injury but that it was nothing like the previous knee injury that plagued his 2012 season.
“I want to be able to recover the feeling of hitting the ball and knowing it will go in,” the 28-year-old said.“In that case, I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, now all I need to do is work. I will see what my realistic aims are as the weeks go by, but my aim is to get into shape and find form and if I am able to compete in Abu Dhabi and Doha, my aim is to be competitive in Australia.”
The world No. 3 is expected to return from the sidelines at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in December. He will then take part in the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open between Jan. 4-11