We Need To Talk About Rafael Nadal, His Future And Health

One year ago, there was no reason to think that Rafael Nadal wasn’t hands down the best player in all of tennis. Now, we need to reconsider.

Rafael Nadal is the current world number two in men’s singles tennis. That’s where he finds himself at the end of the 2018 ATP World Tour. Pretty impressive, right? It is. The Spanish tennis star is already among the greatest players to ever play the sport and he continues to amaze and set records. This past year, Rafa even notched yet another Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, winning his 11th men’s singles title at the French Open.

He even managed to retain the world number one ranking for much of the year. All was going according to plan for Nadal until the second half of 2018.

During the middle months of the year, another one of the greats was staging a comeback from injury. Like many of his generation, Novak Djokovic has suffered from lingered injuries over the past few years. He found his footing once again in the lead-up to action at Wimbledon. Djokovic would hang on, winning the Wimbledon Championships and carrying his momentum into the next few months. Nole reemerged as the player to beat.

Can Rafael Nadal keep up a pace worthy of the world number one ranking next year?

Nadal and Swiss legend Roger Federer began to fade after splitting the first two Grand Slams of the calendar year. The second two, and the top ranking, went to Djokovic. After Wimbledon, Nole followed up the win by taking the title at the US Open.

Meanwhile on the Nadal front, injuries were creeping back up. His withdrawal from several tournaments throughout the year made fans and players wonder whether or not he would be 100 percent at any point during the year. Ultimately, Nadal would even withdraw from action at the 2018 ATP Finals in London. His absence paved the way for Djokovic, who would reach the finals but fall to rising star Alexander Zverev.

Missing the ATP Finals made sense at that point for Nadal. There was no need to risk further injury or a title-run when he was not healthy enough to compete deep into the action. The string of withdrawals, however, make us consider what the upcoming 2019 ATP World Tour has in store for the Spanish superstar.

Health makes all the difference in the world of tennis. There is no doubt that Rafael Nadal remains one of the most elite players in the sport. His inconsistent play in the second half of 2018 makes us wonder whether or not he can keep up the pace in the coming year. Nadal isn’t getting any younger. Like Federer, he may benefit from more strategic scheduling on the ATP World Tour. Predictions for 2019? Rafa will be favored per usual at the French Open. He needs to prove, however, that he is healthy enough to command a schedule worthy of the world number one ranking throughout the rest of the year. Otherwise, Djokovic will remain the player to beat.