Rafael Nadal made an honest admission about his form as the match against Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam is nearing saying he doesn't know what sort of form he is in.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has only participated in one event this year, the Brisbane International, where he defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler to advance to the quarter-finals. This tournament marked his return to competitive play after nearly a year-long absence due to a hip injury suffered in the 2023 season.
However, Nadal recently experienced another setback, sustaining a 'micro tear' in one of his muscles, which forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open.
In preparation for his latest comeback attempt, Nadal will take part in a high-profile exhibition event in Las Vegas, facing off against Carlos Alcaraz. The Netflix slam will be hosted at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and has garnered significant attention, ranking as the second-best-selling tennis event of the past year after the US Open, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Addressing reporters before his match with Alcaraz, Nadal offered an honest assessment of his current form.
“I don’t know how I am,” Marca quoted Nadal as saying when asked about his current fitness.
“I haven’t played a set since Brisbane. I’ve had better and worse moments. The most important thing for me is that I’m here (in America). If I’m here it’s already good news. Two weeks ago, beyond the results, the goal was to play Las Vegas and Indian Wells and I’m closer to achieving it.
“I don’t know what level I’ll be at in Indian Wells, but it is the least important thing today. For me, it is important to spend
Las Vegas will serve as a warm-up for Nadal ahead of the Indian Wells tournament, the first Masters 1000 event of the season. This will mark his return to the tournament for the first time since 2022 when he reached the final but was defeated by Taylor Fritz.
“The preparation for Indian Wells has been bad and for Brisbane had been good. I hope to play a set between this Sunday’s match and the three days I have left before the debut.” He explained.
“For me, the priority is to try to get out of Indian Wells unscathed. Whatever has to be left, leave it in the clay season, which may or may not be the last (of my career), I have not decided 100 per cent. At the moment things are going that way.”