Andy Murray’s mother Judy believes Rafael Nadal may still have the desire to compete but is limited by his physical condition. Nadal suffered a hip injury in the second round of the Australian Open, which put him out of action.
The Spaniard is currently recovering and he is expected to make a return to the tour in the upcoming clay court season. Nadal has faced multiple injuries in his glittering career but he has always made a resounding comeback.
Meanwhile, Judy, who is regarded as one of the best coaches, has observed Nadal since he was 11 years old and played Jamie Murray in a junior tournament.
“I’ve known Rafa since he was 11 years old. I first saw him in an under-12 event in France when he played against Jamie, my older son,” she said in an interview with CLAY.
“I’ve known him all that time and I’ve just known him as an incredible competitor, incredible fighter. Loves the game. He is very similar to [Andy Murray], very focused about what he wants.”
Judy hailed the Spaniard for his fighting spirit on the court and feels his future will depend on his fitness.
“Still have that desire to go out there and compete, but at the end of the day you are relying on your body to be able to perform,” she said.
“I don’t have knowledge of his body. I’m sure the desire would be there and if he wants to do it, I´m sure he will continue to perform in a high level. But as you get older, if your body doesn’t work, you don’t work.”
On the other hand, Andy Murray was at the peak of his powers in 2017 when he suffered a hip injury. Murray is currently playing with a metal hip after undergoing a couple of surgeries.
“When [Andy Murray] got the hip injury, he was the number one in the world. He was playing the best tennis of his life. Really unlucky. It was in the French Open 2017 in the semi-final against Wawrinka. That ended up with a few surgeries,” she said.
“Probably that cost him most of the next three years before the real comeback. He never stopped believing he could do it. He put himself through so much in terms of surgery, rehab, recovery, to get back on the tour with the level he wanted to play at.”His resilience is really second to none.”
Murray will face Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the opening round of Indian Wells.
