Madrid, April 16: Tennis fans round the globe, former players and even his fierce competitors on the court for decades, have been waiting with baited breath for his return to action.
Reason being - his popularity, passion for the game, his extra ordinary skills and quality as a player have mesmerised tennis fans for years.
Yes, Rafael Nadal is extra special, there is no second thought on that. Perhaps that is the reason why even his decade-old competitor Novak Djokovic wish to see him back on tennis court again.
If Spanish tennis legend Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles, the only other player to have won more than him is Serbian legend Djokovic, who have 24 Grand Slam crowns.
But off the court, the two greats Nadal and Djokovic, along with the other tennis icon Roger Federer (20 Grand Slam winner) have always admired each other openly and have been good friends as well.
Meanwhile, Nadal has confirmed that he will return to action in the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.
Nadal called a press conference on Monday, the first day of the championship, he has won 12 times to say he will compete for the first time in almost three months after another injury setback had prevented him from competing in January's Australian Open.
"I am happy to be here as I have a lot of good memories of this tournament," he said, explaining he had come as a last-minute decision. "I have had a good week of training and I am going to be on court tomorrow [Tuesday]," he confirmed.
The 37-year-old Nadal has already hinted he will retire at the end of the year, and his words in Barcelona did nothing to change that view, reports Xinhua. "At this situation in my career, I am in a different situation, and rather than lament what I have missed, I would rather be happy to be here. I am taking this as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment and give it a special feeling."
"I try and manage the situation with my injuries as well as possible, we know what there is and I will continue until it's not worth doing so."
"I am not going to set a limit, but life marks the way for you and I will try and do the most logical thing," he said.
The veteran said it was a shame that Carlos Alcaraz, who many see as his successor, won't compete in Barcelona due to a problem with his forearm. "It's bad news for the tournament to lose the top seed in my half of the draw, but I'm still not ready to think about the semifinals," commented Nadal.
But how long will Nadal play? Will he play this year's French Open, where he has been a ruler for years, that only time can say. For the time being tennis fans round the globe would love to wish their champion player Rafa, all the very best for Barcelona Open. (With IANS support)
