Rafael Nadal: 'I would not like to take false steps when...'

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"The truth is that I have played little in the last year", said Rafael Nadal at the conclusion of his first victory at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell against Ilya Ivashka. The numbers do not deceive and the Spaniard had never before appeared to play the Godó with less shooting on his legs. He had only played eight games until yesterday, with a record of six wins and two losses. His back caused him to be erased from the ATP Cup, Rotterdam, Acapulco and Miami, and greasing a body at 34 is not the same as doing it when you are in your twenties. Nadal noticed it in his preparatory training in Manacor, with the aim of streamlining his movements on the track and, for this, to refine his muscles and lose weight. In 2008, without going any further, he appeared in Barcelona with 33 games played. Until the current season to find the time he had played the least before his landing in Barcelona was in 2018 with 12 games. It should be remembered that he injured his iliac psoas in the quarters of the Australian Open with Marin Cilic and relapsed from the injury afterwards before his debut at the Acapulco Open 500. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez recently provided an analogy involving Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to explain why the European Super League is important for football. Perez is the co-founder and chair of the European Super League, which has now been put on hold after most of the initial member clubs withdrew. 

Nadal talks about the Super League

"Now the rich lose a lot of money and they will stop being rich," Florentino Perez explained. "This is a pyramid; if there is money at the top, the pyramid is going down and there is money for everyone. If there is no money at the top…(there is no money for the bottom). If Rafael Nadal plays Roger Federer, everyone watches; if Nadal plays the number 80 in the world, nobody watches." During one of his recent press conferences at the ongoing Barcelona Open, Rafael Nadal himself was asked to give his two cents on the European Super League. "Sorry, but I don't have a clear opinion," Rafael Nadal said. "Something has been announced that is not 100 percent clear and I would not like to take false steps when it comes to commenting. Sport in general is suffering all over the world with this pandemic, economically, and it is logical that solutions are sought," he added. "If the solution is correct or not, I don't know. Without knowing everything, it is difficult for me to have a clear opinion and that is why I prefer not to comment. When I give my opinion, I try to be informed and in this case, I'm not."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3gAQLFy

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