Although displaced in time from its usual dates in January, the tennis planet smiles because, after a few weeks of previous tournaments, the Australian Open begins. Spotlights on, courts full and without masks except when the roofs are closed in case of rain – that give a certain aspect of normality in another year marked by the coronavirus, which began with controversial lockdowns for players and continues with some doubts and scares. In the environment, a positive for coronavirus from a worker in an official hotel paralyzed the routine for two days, the alarms were maintained to avoid any other case that endangers the tournament. And in sports, also shadows at this beginning of Rafael Nadal’s course, apart from the Cup in its first three days (Australia, Greece, and Italy) due to back problems.
I’m not fatal, fatal, but not well enough to play wielded the Spaniard just before starting the team competition. He did not want to force that area that has already given him problems in the past with a painful chapter in his memory because it came to incapacitate him to play the final of the Australian Open 2014 against Stan Wawrinka. Hence, the Balearic has preferred to reserve himself for the first great objective of this course. «He did not play the ATP Cup because of an extra precaution. He is training and has indicated that he will be ready, said the director of the Australian Open Craig Tiley, in constant communication with the Balearic since it was known about his discomfort. In fact, the player shared a level training session on Saturday with Carlos Alcaraz who with 17 years and in his first final draw in Australia is about to be one of the possible relays of the manacorense.
The challenge of these two weeks of competition for Nadal could conclude on February 21 with the achievement of Grand Slam number 21, with which he would surpass Roger Federer and lead alone that impossible list that the Swiss and the Spanish are discussing, and the Novak Djokovic (17) also points out, the maximum dominator of these tracks with 8 wounds. Federer still convalescing from the two knee operations he underwent in 2020, is the great absence at this start of the course although he announced that he will return to the circuit in March.
Elusive Territory
Nadal who doesn’t play by numbers or statistics wants to continue to feel competitive, although he has long admitted that the opportunities are getting less as he adds candles to his birthday cake. And he faces the possibility of adding 21 in a territory that is certainly elusive. Since that bite in 2009, the lack of shooting or the rivals or some injuries have prevented the Balearic Islands from expanding the record at Melbourne Park. In 2010 it was his knee that made him leave the quarterfinal match against Andy Murray. In 2013 he did not make his debut due to a stomach virus. In 2014 his back stuck him in the final against Wawrinka. And the iliac psoas forced him to leave in the quarterfinals of 2018. Even so, in addition to that of 2014, Nadal has played three other finals, two he lost against Novak Djokovic (2012, in the longest in history of 5 hours and 53 minutes, and 2019) and one against Federer (2017).
For starters, Nadal scratches one more day off because his debut match is scheduled for Tuesday. His rival, an unknown, a Laslo Djere against whom he has never faced. From there, his way to the second title in Australia meets rivals such as Fabio Fognini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, or Daniil Medvedev. The luck of the draw allowed Alexander Zverev or Dominic Thiem to circulate on the other side of the box led by Djokovic.
It was the Austrian who has referred to the tracks at Melbourne Park as a little faster than in other years. Everyone I talk to says she’s very fast. I think they have put a new surface, but something faster and a little more slippery too. The situation that Nadal will have to focus on, especially since for the third year in a row he has not played an official match yet. And the last dates from November, against Medvedev, in the 2020 Masters Cup. Although it is already known that doubting his ability to adapt does not make much sense, because there is that atypical Roland Garros of 2020 that managed to bite despite the cold and despite everything.
Muguruza, Tuesday
GarbiNe Muguruza also debuted on Tuesday against Margarita Gasparyan, in a tournament in which she reached the final last year (she lost to Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-2, and 6-2). On his way, Osaka, Kerber, Kvitova, or Halep, among the main names. But it comes in strong after a very good week at the Yarra Valley Classic. I’m playing well but in tennis, it doesn’t mean that magically next week everything will turn out just as well. I don’t feel like a favorite, he said.
