Laura Robson believes that Rafael Nadal’s latest injury setback will not hamper his game, nor his return to the very top of the tennis world. The Eurosport expert says that the Spaniard will not lose his rhythm nor his skill despite a clear lack of match practice, and the former British player was impressed with Nadal’s showings in Brisbane before injuries flared up once more.
Laura Robson has shrugged off claims that Rafael Nadal’s latest injury setback will hamper his game and his return to tennis’ top table.
Nadal returned to the men’s tour after almost a year out with a persistent hip injury, and the issue has flared up once more to rule the Spaniard out of the Australian Open.
Nadal, now ranked world no. 672, was in the main draw for the first Grand Slam of the season before he was forced to pull out.
Eurosport expert Robson believes that although he’s out of match practice, Nadal can still be at his devastating best as soon as he returns properly.
“I’m not concerned [about his lack of matches] because watching him in the first round in Brisbane, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s like he’s never left,’” said Robson.
“Certainly the Rafa that we know can play like that. That never goes away. The ball striking is always gonna be there.
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“Maybe you might be half a step slower after that long away, but his intensity is like hardly anyone else on Tour and he just knows how to play matches.
“He knows where to go on the big points, he knows what to do and when he’s in a winning position when he’s down in the score line. All of that comes so naturally to him.”
Robson feels that Nadal, who is a two-time champion in Melbourne, will make it back to the top level of tennis, despite many thinking that this could be the former world No. 1’s last year on the tour.
“I’m not worried about when he’s going to come back,” she said. “I would assume considering he said it’s a minor injury that he’s only gonna have to have a couple of weeks off.
“So, in an ideal world, he could play three or four tournaments before the big clay events. Whether that’s on hard or on clay I’m not sure, but, no, honestly [I’m] not concerned at all.
“The most important thing is that he’s healthy for the clay season, which I’m sure is his priority.”
