Carlos Moya, who took over asRafael Nadal’s coach in 2017, succeeding Toni Nadal, has discussed the current state of the Spanish star as he prepares to make his official return to the courts at the Brisbane Open 250 (scheduled from December 31 to January 7).
Moya has opened up about the player’s struggles and analyzed the upcoming challenges faced by Nadal in his bid to return to success.
“When you go through a process like this operation… at the end of the day, going under the knife is really a last resort, and I’m talking from experience, to try and make a comeback and retire on court,” Moya noted.
“Aware of those risks, he gave it a go because it was the only option for him if he wanted to come back.
“And when we started, and we’d been playing for a month and a half, or two, and we realised that progress was very slow… you don’t know if it’s slower than expectations because it’s the first time we’d been in a situation like that.
“But you do have your doubts, and in the player’s head there are also doubts: Will his body respond? Will it be able to take the loads? A lot of questions arise. It has not been a bed of roses, far from it. It’s been a winding, tortuous road, with many curves.”
Moya went on to reflected on the journey following Nadal’s injury and stressed that he is ready for the Australian Open.
“At the end of August, we started to train, but very lightly,” Moya added.
“We would do two days a week, twenty minutes. It was a very slow progression. Sometimes we would take a step back, then go again… We were always very careful.
“The start was very tough, of course. There were times when it looked difficult because he wasn’t getting better. We always had peace of mind because of the constant contact with the doctor, with tests, to reassure ourselves that the rate of progress was completely normal.
“We gradually increased the load and the intensity, always with a very careful plan that we followed. Sometimes we would have to take a step back, rest a little, slow down. But it’s the entire process that comes with an injury of this severity, and you’re at the point of your career when you’re no longer 20 years old.
“Little by little, we were able to progress, the issues were gradually solved and now he’s practically ready to go to Australia and give it a go.”
Moya also explained that at some point during this process he believed that Nadal’s career was about to come to an end.
“There have been other difficult situations, but now you can tell the batteries are running low,” he noted.
“A sportsman has an expiry date, and he is getting closer to it every day. You’re never aware of when that time is, very rarely. You just keep trying. And I think in that regard we’ve all had our doubts that it could come in Australia, he more so than anyone.
“I had them for a certain part of the process, during certain stages. I had the feeling that it could be the end, that he’d have no chance to play again. It was the most difficult time I’ve had with him.”
