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Rafael Nadal's racquet sponsor Babolat released a video of the Spaniard hitting with a sparring partner at his academy around 5 months after his hip surgery, which was the forecasted recovery time. Some of Nadal's followers believe he's still slow but they can see an improvement.
Here are a few of their comments:
- "He is looking slow. Hope he regains his lateral movement even more."
- "Things are looking pretty good for him. It's ps much better than the clips we used to get of Rafa during clay season before the surgery."
- "He is faster step by step!!
He needs to be careful!"
Nadal is expected to be ready for Australian Open
Rafael Nadal's recovery process was preconized to end in November.
“Rafa will begin his progressive functional rehabilitation in a few hours and the normal recovery process is estimated at five months, always taking into account respecting the biological times of said structure,” said Nadal's representative Perez-Barbadillo, as quoted by Reuters.
Nadal himself forecasted his comeback to happen in Melbourne. "My first realistic option to be back on the professional court would be January in Australia. But right now, I really can't confirm something I don't know. Nothing has changed in the last few weeks except for the fact that I'm training a bit more than before, which is an accomplishment for me and my mental health," Nadal said earlier this year during an event in Madrid.
Moreover, car manufacturer Kia's newest ad hinted at a comeback from Nadal at the Australian Open.