Tiger Woods says tennis fans should enjoy watching Nadal “before it’s too late”
The golf superstar is excited about the idea of seeing Nadal return to the tennis courts ahead of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have attracted most of the tennis attention over the last months due to their rivalry and their impressive fights in some of the most important tournaments.
However, one of the most exciting moments in 2024 will likely be the return of Rafa Nadal to the tennis courts after his hip injury during the Australian Open second-round game against Mackenzie McDonald, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
If he doesn’t suffer any setback, the 22-time major winner is expected to feature in the first Grand Slam tournament of 2024.
His uncle, Toni Nadal, had previously revealed in November that he expected to see his nephew compete at the Australian Open.
Tiger Woods excited about Nadal’s return
Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players ever and a global icon, and that’s why his comeback would be great news for his fans.
One of them is another sports great, Tiger Woods, who knows what it feels like to be missing some of the biggest events due to injuries. The 47-year-old talent, considered one of the very best golfers ever, praised Nadal’s warrior spirit throughout his career:
“Well, I think what Rafa, what he’s done is extraordinary. I mean, he won the Australian Open on a broken foot. The guy is beyond tough and beyond competitive”.
“He knows that Father Time is here. Every athlete faces it. Although in some sports it happens faster than others, and unfortunately, just like every sport, you get aged out”, Woods added.
Taking into consideration that 2024 will likely be Nadal’s last year on the tennis courts, Woods admitted that sports fans should enjoy every match he plays before he retires.
“I don’t want to see him go. I never wanted to see Fed [Roger Federer] go, but that’s what happened. We should all enjoy watching him compete and watching him play and what he’s meant to the game, what he’s meant to all of us, just to see the passion of how he plays and why he plays”, he stated.
Nadal has won the Australian Open on two occasions, in 2009 by defeating Roger Federer and in 2022 by coming back in a spectacular way to beat Daniil Medvedev.