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Rafael Nadal is back on the court. The Spanish tennis legend shared his first footage playing tennis, looking like he’s on top of his game as he trained at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy.
The video shows Nadal in black shorts and a neon red shirt, rounding out the look with a cap thrown on backwards. Nadal looks comfortable as he returns various serves, showcasing his forehand and backhand. Fans and followers were quick to drop comments and their excitement over seeing Nadal back in action. “GOAT back,” wrote a follower. Roland Garros, which is one of Nadal’s favorite tournaments, dropped some eye emojis, suggesting they were looking at his progress.
This marks Nadal’s first training video since his surgery in June 2nd. It also signals the conclusion of Nadal’s tennis break, which began in January of this year, when he experienced a significant injury that had to be treated.
Rafa Nadal’s comeback tour
Over the past few months, Nadal has discussed his plans to return to tennis. If everything goes well, he expects to play competitively by 2024, with that year being his last as a professional competitive tennis player.
Nadal’s friend and fellow tennis player Feliciano Lopez spoke about his recovery, sharing that he looked healthy and strong. “He was looking great,” said Lopez to The Independent. “It was only a few weeks after the surgery and he was looking great, working perfectly, feeling healthy and everything is going great so far. First of all, he needs to finish his rehab… but by the end of the year, I think he’s going to be fully recovered.”