The eternal wait for Rafa Nadal: it starts in Rome, where Djokovic also plays, to prepare for the Roland Garros assault

Spotted!

is already here doing his first training session ».

The social networks of the

enthusiastically announced the arrival of the Majorcan to the

.

There were more reasons than usual for that fervor.

He is number two in the world and has won nine editions of the tournament, but it is above all his return to the slopes after more than six months of absence.

Nadal has not competed since winning the

final

against

on February 29.

The manacorense, like everyone else, was in the chapel to play in

when the organization decided to cancel the tournament due to the first cases of coronavirus in the

.

The entire ATP circuit followed behind and, although the tournaments returned in August, the Spaniard resigned from Cincinnati and the US Open.

Several reasons weighed in his decision.

On the one hand, the health service, both due to the evolution of the

and the added dangers of the trip.

But on the other, the need to adjust the shot.

The ATP had to compress the calendar in this final stretch of the course and there were only two weeks of margin between the

.

The Spaniard understood that his best options to win were to give up New York.

It will be the

.

The Mallorcan was out for more than seven months between 2012 and 2013 due to a problem in the patellar tendon in his left knee (then he missed two Grand Slam tournaments and the London Olympics).

Although in this case it was not an injury, Nadal has raised the requirement of preparation to reach the Masters 1000 in Rome with strength.

He has been fortunate to have the facilities of his academy to maintain his physical tone during these months.

But one thing is the form and another the rhythm of competition, rusty after such a long break.

To make up for it, he has received players such as

in Manacor in recent weeks

.

The day before traveling to Rome he was training with the Bulgarian, who only three years ago, before the injuries, was number three in the world.

The Spaniard landed in the Italian capital on Wednesday and on Thursday he was already rallying at the Foro Italico with

.

"Spotted!"

On Friday he had a double session with

, one of the most promising young people in his academy (number 37 in the world);

and on Saturday, the day of the draw, another double with

.

A demanding set-up.

And it will be necessary because a difficult picture awaits you.

Nadal goes straight to the second round, but will face

, a semifinalist at the US Open.

The Spaniard has won all five of his games (the most recent was this year at the Australian Open), but the Spaniard arrives in good shape.

Awaiting the preliminary phase, they are the only Spaniards, along with

, who makes his debut against

, who does so against Sloane Stephens.

If Nadal went to the round of 16, he could be measured with

;

in rooms, with

;

in the semifinals, with

;

and only in the final, with

, who reappears in Rome after the US Open incident.

Like last year, the Serbian has prepared the clay tour in Marbella and will now try to relaunch a campaign in which he has equaled

.

Rome could see the first tiebreaker.

Yesterday, Nadal was still training at the Foro Italico with

, the best ATP debutant of 2019. The Spaniard has won the last two editions (in 2018, against Zverev, and in 2019, against Djokovic) and has already been nine.

If he gets the tenth, he will already add double digits in four tournaments: Roma, Godó (11), Montecarlo (11) and Roland Garros (12).

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Rafael Nadal

• Garbiñe Muguruza

• Pablo Carreño

• U.S

• tennis

US Open Carreño's long road back: injuries and losses before exploding again in New York

US Open and finally, a 90s champion in New York

US Open 2020Pablo Carreño returns to the US Open semis

See links of interest

• Last minute

• Spanish translator

• Programming

• 2020 calendar

• Horoscope today

• League classification

• Santander League Calendar

• Movies Today

• Topics

• Real Oviedo - FC Cartagena

• Lille - Metz

• Alaves - Real Betis

• San Marino Grand Prix, live

• West Bromwich Albion - Leicester City