Spanish tennis legend, Rafael Nadal, has had a torrid 2023 season. It has been marred by injuries that kept him out for the entire of the current year. He just played two tournaments this year and got sidelined since the Australian Open. After being out of action for months, the Spaniard finally delivered some promising news to his fans. However, legendary coach, Rick Macci, delivered an upsetting prediction about the former World Number 1.

Nadal has teased about his comeback early next year. Although he hasn’t confirmed his return date, the Spaniard is eager to get back in action. Here’s what Macci said about Nadal’s chances in 2024.

Rick Macci believes that Rafael Nadal is not ‘at the exact same level’ anymore

During a recent interview, the childhood coach of Serena Williams opened up about the chances of Nadal winning Grand Slam titles next year. With age not on Nadal’s side, Macci feels that winning a major title will be a long shot for the Spaniard in 2024.

Expanding on this thought, Macci said, “I wish Rafa all the best, but he’s not at the exact same level he was before so I don’t think he’s a contender to win a Slam.” Further, he went on to add, “I think he can be competitive and I think he’s a rough out for anybody on clay, but it depends on his health.”

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Nadal’s absence this year was Novak Djokovic’s gain. The latter overtook Nadal, for the most Grand Slam titles won in men’s singles. Although the tennis pro would have liked to compete with Djokovic in this aspect, the Spaniard made an honest confession ahead of his comeback to the court. Let’s dive deeper.

Nadal admits he’s far behind Djokovic

While Djokovic has raced ahead and won 24 major titles, Rafael Nadal is two Grand Slam titles behind the Serb at 22. Given Nadal’s age and injury concerns, it remains unlikely that he’ll be able to overtake Djokovic’s record. Even the tennis veteran agreed on this matter as he talked about his comeback.

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Opening up about this, Nadal said, “I won’t win more Majors than Djokovic, but I will be back to compete. I hope to tell you more in the coming weeks. Until now, I didn’t know if I would ever play tennis again, and now I sincerely believe that I will play tennis again.” Do you think that we can see the best of Nadal once again next year? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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