Coach Carlos Moya gives big Rafael Nadal scheduling update ahead of comeback

Carlos Moya has confirmed that Rafael Nadal will skip the South American clay tournaments this year to stick with hardcourt events instead.

Nadal is coming back from a hip injury and he was forced to pull out of the Australian Open with a minor problem this month.

However, he has already confirmed he will return quickly, with Doha in mid-February already pencilled in for his return.

Ordinarily, Nadal would be heading to South America to play the clay events at this time of year, but the difficulties in switching surfaces has led to a scheduling rethink this time around.

Speaking to Punto de Break, Moya said: “Surface changes are not easy.

While it is true that the clay should be better for the joints, to go from hard court to the clay, to go back to the United States and then again to the clay, we thought it was a little excessive.

“That’s why we chose this calendar, without so much change of surface.”

Rafael Nadal will be ‘a candidate to win’ any tournament he plays

Nadal has been careful to try to manage expectations this year, stressing that he does not know what level he can return to.

There is, of course, good reason for that. Tennis is noxious among sports for requiring a long catch-up period after injury. The difference in level and intensity between practice and matches has seen many a top player struggle to work their way back up the rankings after a long spell out.

And is 37 too, and it’s not something that gets any easier with age.

That said, Carlos Moya believes Nadal could be unique due to his natural intensity level being famously high, and he says no one should be writing him off.

“Rafa reminded me of a bull that has been locked up for a year,” he said.

“You release it and it goes like a beast. He will be a candidate to win the tournaments he plays”

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Rafael Nadal’s coach explains decision to snub clay events in comeback with injury update

Rafael Nadal suffered an injury setback at the Brisbane International but could make his return next month

Rafael Nadal looks set to make his return at the ATP 250 event in Doha after picking up a fresh injury in Brisbane.

The Spaniard suffered a micro muscle tear in his first tournament following a 12-month layoff but could be back in action by late February.

His decision to sign up to Doha instead of the Latin American clay events raised eyebrows and Carlos Moya has now explained why he opted to go for a hard-court event over the dirt.

Nadal could be back in action in three weeks after suffering an immediate setback in his injury return. The former world No. 1 spent a year sidelined by a left psoas injury and underwent surgery in June.

He then came back in Brisbane at the start of the month, earning two statement victories before getting injured during his defeat to Jordan Thompson.

The 37-year-old later announced that he had suffered a micro tear on the muscle and was pulling out of the Australian Open but said it was “good news” that the issue wasn’t in the same place as his previous injury.

Since then, Nadal has appeared on the entry list for the Qatar Open in Doha, beginning on February 19.

Many thought Nadal would try and play the clay events in Buenos Aires and Rio given his dominance on the surface.

But his coach has now explained why he opted to stay on hard courts, giving a hint about his future schedule. “Surface changes are not easy,” Moya told Punto De Break.

While it is true that clay should be better for your joints, going from hard to clay, to go back to the US and then back to clay, we thought it was a bit excessive. That’s why we chose to make this calendar, without so much change of surface.”

It means that Nadal will likely play one or both of the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, taking place in March.

Both tournaments are staged on hard courts and come before the start of the European clay swing. If Moya’s words are anything to go by, it means that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is planning to compete in the ‘sunshine double’ and wants to stay on hard courts instead of switching between surfaces.