After 4 months, Nadal returns to play in the Conde de Godo tournament – 2024-04-16 14:43:32

After fighting an injury so far in 2024, Rafael Nadal finally confirmed that he will be present at the Conde de Godo tournament in Barcelona, ​​which will start this Tuesday, April 16, and will have the Italian Flavio Cobolli as his rival.

The 37-year-old Spaniard, former world number 1, will participate in an official competition for the first time since last January, when he suffered significant health problems in one of his thighs at the Brisbane tournament. Since then, He became one of the great absentees from important events such as the Australian Open, Doha, Indian Wells, Miami or more recently the Monte Carlo Masters 1000.

“Not being able to be in Monte Carlo hurt me, but luckily things have improved. I am also totally realistic that simply being here is a great illusion,” she said at a press conference this Monday morning.

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Message that saddened many

Without a doubt, the injuries and his years of life will make inevitable the soon definitive retirement of someone who is considered by experts and millions of fans as one of the best tennis players in all of history.

Among his sayings, Nadal said he felt good to be on the court in his debut this Tuesday in one of the tournaments and places where he has done best in his long and rich professional career (he won the Barcelona trophy twelve times): “it means a lot For me, being able to play once again in Barcelona, ​​a place where I had incredible success and unforgettable memories.”

However, although he seemed happy for his return, he left a sentence that saddened his fans and a large part of the press present, by ensuring that his retirement is getting closer to becoming reality: “It is a gift to be in Barcelona. I take it as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment”.