Towards the end of last week, before most of the 192 players in the Madrid Open main draw singles had even touched down in the Spanish capital, Rafael Nadal was pounding balls on the courts of the Caja Mágica in preparation for the coming tournament.
The four-times champion's early arrival made sense. He is, after all, in a race against time to find at least a semblance of form before it's too late. Not only is he tasked with somehow finding his feet after so many injuries, but this is it. Nadal may fast be approaching his endgame and he will likely compete at an ATP tournament on home soil for the final time in Madrid over the next two weeks. There will be no do-overs.
This season had started with far greater hopes for Nadal, who had returned to competition in the first week of the year after an 11 month layoff due to a hip injury.
Even though he suggested that 2024 could well be his final season, the prospect of him returning healthy and in a rich vein of form was irresistible, a sentiment only bolstered by the way he rolled through his first two matches in Brisbane with ease.
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