Isaac Tiomkin
Rafael Nadal after winning in the third round of the 2015 Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal embodies the word “legend” in every conceivable way. He has the soul of a gladiator and a gritty tenacity that drives him towards victory no matter the circumstance. Those who grew up from the mid-2000s to the 2010s have been blessed with watching this warrior of a tennis player deliver thrilling matches day in and day out. Although it seems like Nadal has been given all of the tools necessary to dominate, knee and back injuries have held him back at times, and he isn’t getting any younger. Unfortunately, Nadal will most likely retire within the next few years, just as his lifetime rival Roger Federer did in 2022.
However, that time is not yet upon us. In fact, Nadal recently announced that he will be participating in the upcoming 2024 Australian Open Tournament. He currently sits in the top seven hundred ATP-ranked players in the world due to his lack of play in the past year, but he is almost certainly going to be given a wildcard into the tournament. In his video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), he declared that “it’s the right moment to be back,” sending shockwaves through the tennis world.
It was just under two years ago that Nadal won the Australian Open Title against Daniil Medvedev, coming back from a two set deficit. If there is anyone capable of re-entering the pinnacle of tennis after a year as a recluse in the lower rankings, it is certainly the King of Clay.
Speaking of clay, not only would this be important for the Australian Open, but if Nadal can remain healthy, it would also greatly impact the dynamics of the French Open and Madrid Open. Despite his advanced age for a tennis player, he would still be considered by many as the favorite in these tournaments. Put simply, if the surface is clay, bet on Nadal. His career win percentage on clay is a ridiculous 91 percent. He has won fourteen out of the eighteen French Opens that he has participated in. In terms of dominance in an aspect of a sport, there is no other athlete in history comparable to Nadal.
Many see this push to play in Melbourne from Nadal to be an uneducated move. Their arguments do have validation. They propose that Nadal should save himself for the French Open. His chances clearly are best on clay, so it clearly is a gamble. My rebuttal to this is as follows: Nadal has been a top player in the pro circuit for over twenty years. He has dealt with monstrous injuries that have taken him out for over a year, but that simply means he understands his body better than before. Additionally, he has a team of highly educated specialists whose job securities depend on the longevity of Nadal’s career. It is a fleeting and dubious thought at best that his team would endanger him. Trust in his judgment.
It will be a privilege for all the world to see Nadal light up the court again, whether or not it is his last rodeo. Rather than criticizing his decisions, we should graciously watch him fly across the court, battle through fatigue, and hopefully win another slam.