Madrid Open: After successfully recovering from a rib injury, Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return to the court, defeating Miomir Kekmanovic in his opening match of the Masters 1000 tournament.
No pain in my ribs: Nadal recalls roller-coaster injury ride (Reuters Photo)
highlighted
- Nadal makes a winning comeback at the Madrid Open
- 21-time Grand Slam champion recovers from rib injury
- Nadal says he is not worried about lack of preparation ahead of French Open
Rafael Nadal said he is happy to return from a win at the Madrid Open after recovering from a rib injury. Taking to the court for the first time since a rib injury at Indian Wells in March, Nadal put on a dominant performance to defeat Miomir Kekmanovic in his opening round at the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament on Wednesday.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion has described his recovery from a rib injury as a “roller-coaster” ride, saying he is keeping his hopes low after being denied the time and physical conditions to train for the Madrid Open at his best. Which he has won 5 times.
“I am very happy with the match. You have to be honest with yourself… I’m not prepared. You can’t expect big things in the beginning,” Nadal said after the win.
“All training has had some ups and downs, it’s been a roller coaster. I’ve had better days, bad days.
“At the end of the day, ribs are a problem that greatly limits your play.”
‘I’m not worried’
Nadal back on court earlier this month Nadal no pain in my rib: Rafael Nadal recalls Madrid Open roller-coaster ride after return to French Open is a good sign but lack of preparation time has raised concerns. But the 13-time Roland Garros champion said he is not too worried about it and is focused on getting game time in Madrid.
“There are injuries that allow you to do physical work, aerobic work. The rib doesn’t allow me to do anything … positive,” Nadal said.
“I don’t have any pain in my ribs. I had a little pain at the beginning of the week, and then I went to have an MRI so they can check it, Friday or Saturday when I got here, and the image on the machine was good.”
Nadal, who last won the Madrid Open in 2017, will take on David Goffin in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.