Camila Sosa
Rafael Nadal is close to returning to competitive action, and on Monday it was confirmed that his return match will be played on May 4 as part of the Madrid Masters 1000, according to information provided by Marca.
In this way, the current world number four confirms his participation in one of the most important events of the clay tour prior to Roland Garros, although at the same time he rules out his presence in the Barcelona tournament, where he won the champion’s trophy in 2021.
After his loss in the Indian Wells final to American Taylor Fritz, the Palma de Mallorca-born player missed the Masters 1000 in Miami and Monte Carlo due to a rib injury, and he is currently facing a more limited preparation than expected ahead of his quest for his 14th Grand Slam title in Paris.
In addition, the 35-year-old tennis player has the motivation to extend his lead in Grand Slam titles. He has 21 championship trophies, while Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are equal in second place with 20 each.
In the absence of Federer, the Nadal vs. Djokovic will be the most awaited by the fans who will be present at the Caja Mágica in Madrid next month.
Rafael Nadal’s Record in 2022
Rafael Nadal reeled off one of the most impressive streaks in the modern era of professional tennis with his 20-0 record before falling to American Taylor Fritz in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000.
During his undefeated period, the former world number one won the Melbourne, Australian Open and Mexico Open titles.
It is important to point out that the fact of playing all possible matches (21) during four consecutive events at the beginning of the 2022 season, ended up generating the physical problem in the player.
