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Expect Rafael Nadal to be back in top form for clay court season

By Harry Floyd

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand against Karen Khachanov of Russia during their men's singles quarter final match at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 15, 2019 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand against Karen Khachanov of Russia during their men's singles quarter final match at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 15, 2019 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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King of Clay Rafael Nadal readies himself for the upcoming 2019 clay court season. Expect to see a healthy and determined Rafa in the coming weeks.

All roads lead to Roland Garros right now and Rafael Nadal is ready to push forward toward the upcoming Grand Slam. After struggling due to his ongoing knee injury issues, Nadal is back on the practice courts at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain. Take a look at his Instagram HERE to see the Spanish superstar hitting balls on the clay courts.

Nadal is hands down the undisputed champion in men’s singles tennis at the French Open. He has 11 titles at Roland Garros and, if healthy, must be considered the favorite there.

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The former world number one is defending tons of ATP rankings points in the upcoming weeks and months. Nadal is currently planning a mid-April return to action. His schedule has him playing at the Monte Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and of course the French Open.

Health remains the top concern for Rafa right now. While he did have to withdraw from recent action, the Spanish great has played a good amount of tennis so far in 2019. He reached the finals at the Australian Open, falling to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Nadal then went 1-1 at the Mexican Open and reached the semifinals at Indian Wells before withdrawing.

Roger Federer is on fire as of late. Djokovic needs to reestablish his dominance and others are threatening the old guard. Nadal needs to get back into full swing with the clay court season upon us. He currently sits in the world number two ranking and is third in the ATP Race to London.

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We’ll continue to monitor Rafael Nadal as he returns to action during the clay court season. If he’s healthy though, we expect the King of Clay to retake his place atop the sport in the middle months of the 2019 ATP Tour. Stay tuned for updates on his progress and check back for news on the action around the WTA Tour. Women’s singles tennis is seeing several rising stars and sleeper players emerge and make headlines.

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