Rafael Nadal Parera turns 34 and he will celebrate it in an unusual way, at home, and not at Roland Garros as he has traditionally done in recent years when he was fighting to win “his tournament” and celebrated days before his name day with the organization and the media.
The photo of the cake shared with everyone was always a true reflection that Nadal was in the fight for the Parisian Grand Slam, where he has won 12 times. Cafe de la Paix used to be the place where, at a dinner with his whole family, Nadal later celebrated his birthday.
The 19 Grand Slams champion remains like this, for the moment at this time, unable to fight, not only because of his favorite tournament, but also because he has a more than reasonable opportunity to match the 20 greats that the Swiss Roger Federer has, matched that I was still able to arrive this season, depending on various factors.
Waiting for news about the circuit, about whether the US Open will be held jointly in New York with the Cincinnati Masters 1,000, or if Roland Garros will delay a week in its calendar to give an alternative to Madrid or Rome, Nadal will celebrate his holiday today.
“I do not want a new normal, I want the normality of before,” said the one from Manacor about the new future, not only of tennis, but of the previous life that reigned, when the coronavirus pandemic was just a threat.
It is a strange year, because only one Grand Slam has been played at the moment, the Australian Open, with the victory of Serbian Novak Djokovic and American Sofia Kenin. «Nole», who turned 33 years old in May, has precisely the number one on his back and carries the unbeatenness that comes from having won the 18 games he has played. He is the leader of the ATP in the year of the pandemic.
Nadal will celebrate his day, probably training in the facilities of his academy in Manacor, waiting for new news about the return of tennis. On Tuesday he joined the protest over the death of the African-American Geoge Floyd with a black photo on social networks, as did Roger Federer and Garbiñe Muguruza, among others.
His uncle and former coach Toni Nadal believes that his nephew still has “three or four years” to compete at a high level, and perhaps with this phrase he has given him the best gift.
“If health helps, I think Rafael still has at least three or four years to compete at a high level in tennis. Perhaps there will be more, because the 2020 break has allowed him to slow down and not strain his body, “said Toni Nadal. EFE. (HN)