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Nadal Watch: no news is good news for Australian Open

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 07: Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a backhand during a practice session ahead of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 7, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 07: Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a backhand during a practice session ahead of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 7, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) /
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Rafael Nadal is set to play in an exhibition leading up to the 2018 Australian Open. The world No. 1 remains optimistic about his chances of playing.

Rafael Nadal and his team expressed that his knee was feeling well earlier in the week. Now, he is right on track to participate in the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia.

The exhibition event will be critical for the Spanish superstar. While his knee appears to be feeling fine throughout his practice session thus far, play at the Kooyong Classic should provide further insight into his health status.

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Nadal and coach Carlos Moya told the press earlier this week that his initial two practice session in Australia went off without a hitch. That’s great news for Nadal fans and everyone who plans to attend the play at Melbourne Park.

Rafael Nadal is a former champion at the Australian Open.

The world No. 1’s participation in the upcoming Grand Slam would be meaningful. The event is already without defending women’s singles champion Serena Williams and multi-time runner-up in men’s singles Andy Murray.

Along with Nadal, Serbian superstar and six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is in action at the upcoming exhibition. He has been dealing with a lingering elbow injury throughout the past year. This week is crucial for Djokovic. The six-time Australian champion has not played competitively since on tour since July of last year.

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The exhibition in Melbourne has adapted its schedule to fit the needs of both top players. Play at the Kooyong Classic serves as a warmup for action at Melbourne Park so the tournament was happy to accommodate the Grand Slam champions.

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All eyes are on Rafael Nadal this week. With the exhibition coming up, we will learn plenty more about his status. If he is unable to go for the Australian Open, Roger Federer has to be considered the favorite in men’s singles. The Swiss great is fresh off of a Hopman Cup title alongside Belinda Bencic. Last year at Melbourne Park, he defeated Nadal in a five-set epic to take home the title. Federer appears in fantastic form so far in 2018 and will look to add another Grand Slam to his resume this month. Stay tuned to see how Nadal fares in the coming week.

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