‘I see 2020 as practically lost’ for tennis’ – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has mentioned he views the remainder of this yr as “practically lost” for tennis and would even be relieved if the game returned as regular at first of 2021. The males’s and ladies’s excursions have been stopped because of the coronavirus pandemic, with Wimbledon cancelled for the primary time since World War II and the French Open postponed till the tip of September. But Nadal, who has received 12 of his 19 grand slam titles at Roland Garros, believes the possibilities of tennis restarting earlier than the tip of this yr are slim.

“I hope to play as soon as possible but if I think about it logically, we travel every week from one place to another, we are in contact with hotels, airports, all in different places,” Nadal mentioned in an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC on Tuesday.

“If you gave me the ability to guarantee that in January 2021, a normal season like before will begin, I would sign for that now with my eyes closed.” In a separate interview with El Pais, Nadal mentioned: “I’m more looking to the Australian Open than what happens later this year. I see 2020 as practically lost.” Nadal at 33 is within the latter levels of his illustrious profession and the hiatus got here simply as he appeared to be closing in on the 20 main titles received by the 38-year-old Roger Federer.

If tennis returns this summer time, Nadal might select to skip the US Open and save himself for the French, given there can be only a week between the 2. “It’s all hypothetical because I don’t think it will be like that,” mentioned Nadal to ABC. “My feeling, and I say it with sadness and I won’t lie to you, is that we are losing a year of our lives.

“And at 33 or 34 years old that is much more valuable than at 20 when you have many more years ahead, even if it’s still a year. “Frankly, I think that will not happen. From the US Open to Roland Garros with a week in between, I just don’t think we can play.”