Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, said the Spanish tennis player has no choice but to play at the Masters in Indian Wells as he tries to return to the top of world tennis.
In January, Nadal returned to competition at the tournament in Brisbane, after almost a year off and recovering from a hip injury and surgery, but he was injured there and had to cancel his participation in the Australian Open.
The current problems are not related to the previous injury, but Nadal has not recovered enough, which is why he withdrew from the tournament in Doha. He has scheduled an exhibition match in Las Vegas with compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, before playing in the Indian Wells Masters from March 6-17.
"He has to compete. He has no choice. He hasn't done that for too long. And of course, if you don't compete, you can't prepare," Toni Nadal told AS, Eurosport reported.
Nadal has had problems with injuries throughout his career, which could end this year.
His uncle didn't want to talk about the 37-year-old's long-term future, but said his team had to wait and see how the rest of the year went. He is optimistic about participating in Roland Garros, where Nadal would play for a record 15th title, but also about the Olympic Games in Paris.
Asked what he thought about his return to Brisbane, Toni Nadal said that he had positive impressions and that he thought that Rafael Nadal played at a good level after such a long break.
"I prefer to say that he will win Roland Garros. Then we will see. I know it is difficult, but I always try to be positive and I hope that my nephew can play a big role both at the Games and at Roland Garros," he stated. .
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