Former Serena Williams coach makes Rafael Nadal assertion

Tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has no doubt Rafael Nadal “will be ready” to make his return for the 2023 French Open, despite the Spaniard’s withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Masters. Nadal hasn’t competed since suffering an injury at the Australian Open in January.

The start of the claycourt season was originally set as Nadal’s target to make a comeback to help him best prepare for Roland Garros. But that preparation has been dealt a setback with Nadal confirming he’s not ready to return to competitive tennis.

“Unfortunately I am still not ready to compete and will miss one of those special tournaments I always love to play,” Nadal said in a statement on Tuesday. “Monte Carlo is and has been a key event in my career, but unfortunately I will have to miss it again since I am still not ready to compete without the risk of getting injured.

“I will continue the process of getting ready to come back.” His withdrawal raises fresh concerns on whether Nadal will be fit enough to compete at the French Open next month.

There are still several weeks until the second major of the year gets underway though and Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams for a decade between 2012 and 2022, believes Nadal will do everything to be fit to play at Roland Garros. “He knows if there is one he can win, it’s this one, more than any other,” he said on Instagram.

“So all his program, whatever he’s done since the Australian Open, his number one goal is to win Roland Garros. So he will be ready. Rafa is a player that progresses match after match.

“He needs matches. The older he gets, the less matches he needs because the more he’s mastering his game. Most important for him will be movement, because it’s the base of his game.

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“Originally, a player who was defending a lot, he’s not anymore. He has developed a lot of weapons. But still, movement is the base of his game.”

Nadal is still on the entry list for the Barcelona Open, which is held the week after the Monte Carlo Masters. And David Ferrer, Barcelona Open’s tournament director, recently admitted that he expects Nadal to be back in time to play the event.

“We still don’t know if he will be in Monte Carlo but he will surely be in Barcelona and will arrive well for the tour on the clay,” he said recently.

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