ATP: Rafael Nadal back in training next week, says Uncle Toni

The 2018 season ended with cancellations in Paris and London – but Rafael Nadal’s start into next year doesn’t seem to be at risk.

Although Toni Nadal is no longer the main coach of his nephew, the successful duo is still in regular contact. The good news that Uncle Toni now announced: Rafa will start his training at the beginning of December according to plan.

“Rafael had decided to tackle a problem that had developed during training – his doctor had recommended this to him,” Toni referred to the ankle surgery that Nadal had performed after the cancellation of the Masters tournament in Paris. In Paris himself he had withdrawn for a short time due to abdominal muscle problems. Nadal has not played a match since the US Open and had to give up in New York against Juan Martin del Potro due to knee problems in the semi-finals.

“When I spoke to him, his intention was to start training on December 4th or 5th. So he will have more than a month to travel to the Australian Open in good shape,” Toni Nadal told the Spanish side diariovasco.com.

He also took a stand on another topic. Roger Federer will have a hard time winning another Grand Slam title, he claimed recently. “I said with all due respect that there is a time when it will be difficult for a 38-year-old to win a five-set tournament,” Uncle Toni now concretizes. “In Wimbledon there are some options, but every year that passes it seems to get harder,” says the 57-year-old. But, “Same thing happens to Rafael.”

How long is Rafa going to last? “Everything in life has an expiration date. If Rafael notices, he will say goodbye to the race track,” philosophized Toni. The good news for all fans of the 17-times Major-Champ: “As far as I know, he wants to go on for a few more years. If the body allows it.”