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Toni Nadal sends a hopeful message about Rafa Nadal
Toni Nadal sends a hopeful message about Rafa Nadal
The Manacor tennis player’s uncle believes that he could be playing if he recovers well from the injury that has kept him away from the courts
Rafa Nadal has not played tennis since January 18 of this year. So in seven days he’ll make a week of his last game. That day he was knocked out at the Australian Open and nothing suggested that the injury he suffered would keep him away from the slopes for so long. After forgoing many tournaments, including Roland Garros , he announced in May that he would not play again until the end of the year.
In addition, he hinted that 2024 could be his last season on the ATP circuit , on top of that in June he underwent surgery to solve his problems in the iliac psoas. Thus, he will be able to recover and it is normal for him to keep his return date at the end of this year. A moment that we all wait for to see Rafa Nadal again on a tennis court and playing the sport to which he has given so much.
Toni Nadal sends a hopeful message about Rafa Nadal
His uncle Toni Nadal has been interviewed by the Clay Historias de Tenis website and has left us a reflection full of optimism about his nephew. “What I know, because I talked to him, is that Rafael wants to come back, he wants to recover well. And if he recovers well, I think he will want to continue ,” said the one who was his coach to Clay . The question was directed at whether he would want to continue his career if he won again in 2024. In this way he sends a message full of optimism to Rafa ‘s fans .
READ MORE: Toni Nadal has given some forceful statements in an interview with ClayTennis about the debate of who is the best in the Big-3
Although uncle Toni also wanted to keep his feet on the ground and explain that it will not be easy for him to come back and win with some regularity: “Later we will see, because the results have to accompany him, which will not be easy , because when you lose the ranking is more difficult, because you have to compete with the best faster . You then have to be well for more days and you have to play tough matches more times. Let’s see”, Toni Nadal commented to the aforementioned website.
Therefore, the summary is that Rafa Nadal wants to return and is looking forward to playing tennis as soon as possible, but I want to do it healthy. The tennis player will return to training on a court next month as the doctor has recommended. Once he can play, who knows what version we may see of him because even though he is 37 years old, he is a legend of his sport. Therefore, step by step, hopefully we can see him on the courts soon and then see him at a high level and that he considered continuing playing tennis. If he does it, it is because the glory days that have dominated his sports career will have arrived again.
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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