20-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, had a concerning start to his 2021 season. He had been suffering from a back issue from the beginning, which forced him to withdraw from every tournament except the Australian Slam.

After losing in the quarterfinal there, the 34-year-old has had enough time to recover before the clay season begins. Rafa’s doctor, Ángel Ruiz Cotorro, recently shared an update on this.

The doctor said, “(Rafa) is training well, he is training hard. His goal is clay, first Monte-Carlo, and his final goal is Roland Garros.” 

(All quotes have been translated from Spanish to English via Google Translate)

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Rafael Nadal looking sharp in practice ahead of Monte-Carlo

Rafael Nadal has already begun his preparations for the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters at his academy, and he looked sharp as ever.

His coach, Carlos Moya, and Norwegian player, Casper Ruud, also accompanied him during the training session.

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These are all positive signs coming from Team Rafa. However, it will be interesting to see how he comes out from the long break since he is regarded as the best tennis player ever to grace the clay courts.

With the recent conclusion of the Miami Open, all eyes have switched to the Monte-Carlo Masters. Instead of Rafael Nadal, Serbian Novak Djokovic and Russian Daniil Medvedev will enter as top seeds this year.

Thus, along with picking up a solid momentum for the French Open, the Spaniard will also want his world ranking back.

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What to expect from Nadal at Monte-Carlo Masters 2021?

As a Masters 1000 and first clay-court event of 2021, the Monte-Carlo Masters has numerous expectations placed on it. Italian Fabio Fognini will be defending his 2019 title this year.

But Nadal has won a record 11 Monte-Carlo Masters and will aim for his 12th. If he wins, it will also bring him confidence for the clay season finale in Paris, where he will bid for a record-extending 14th French Open and 21st Grand Slam overall.

Do you think Rafa can win yet another French Open this year?

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