Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco has revealed that his son Mateo is a great tennis fan, so much so that he has repeatedly asked him to meet Rafael Nadal during the 2023 Australian Open. Both Spaniards did not shine in the first Grand Slam of the season : ‘Nando’ failed to qualify for the main draw, while Rafa left the scene already in the second round and suffered a second degree injury to his iliopsoas.
The former number 1 in the world will have to stay in the pits for a couple of months and it is not ruled out that he will return to the field directly on the red clay of Monte Carlo. The last few months have been really difficult for the 36-year-old Spaniard, who has had to deal with various physical problems.
After the semifinal reached at Wimbledon 2022, we no longer admire the best version of Rafa. Many believe that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is very close to the end of his career and that he will not win a major again. The Mallorcan’s goal is undoubtedly Roland Garros, where he will go hunting for his 15th crown.
According to reporter Blair Henry, Verdasco opened up about his two-year-old son wanting to meet “his friend Rafael Nadal.” “According to Fernando Verdasco, his 2-year-old son Mateo is obsessed with tennis and has repeatedly asked when he will be able to see ‘his friend Rafa’ in Australia,” Henley wrote in a tweet.
Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni has said that the world number 6 will not be retiring from professional tennis anytime soon. “In his mind it is not retiring for now. Another thing is what the doctors say or that it hurts more than what he touches.
The moment is still good and if he is fit, he will continue”, revealed the Spaniard during an educational meeting. “In the end it is a difficult fight against a great champion like Djokovic. Getting past Djokovic is difficult because Djokovic is fresher than him.”
Zeballos reflects on Nadal
Doubles specialist Horacio Zeballos reckons Rafael Nadal ending his career could be due to more mental issues than physical ones.
“If it is the end, it would be because of something more mental than physical. It is very difficult to say because he has surprised us many times with his ability to come back so well after injuries. I speak to you as a tennis fan more than from logic.
I hope he will be there this year because it is very nice to see him play,” he said. “Like Federer, like Djokovic, Nadal have shown that he can stop and come back with inhuman achievements. He gets injured and then wins, I don’t know, how many more Grand Slams.
Age does not help things to be the same as 10 years ago. Seems difficult for him to return to the top level he has shown for so many years, but he never ceases to amaze us. Let’s hope he comes back strongly,” he added.
