Tennis-Nadal says Las Vegas event will test body after pain-free retirement

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Davis Cup Finals - Quarter Final - Netherlands v Spain - Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena, Malaga, Spain - November 19, 2024 Spain's Rafael Nadal in action during his match against Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

Nov 4 (Reuters) - Former world number one ⁠Rafa Nadal is enjoying life after tennis and is largely free of the daily pain that marked the final years of ⁠his career, but says an upcoming Las Vegas exhibition will test whether his body can again withstand serious preparation.

Nadal, ‌who retired from professional tennis two years ago, has stepped up his training ahead of February's MGM Slam while juggling business commitments and family life with his two young children.

"Life is treating me well," Nadal told Reuters from his home in Mallorca, Spain.

"I'm enjoying this new chapter, travelling more than expected, working more than I expected, to ​tell you the truth, but in a good way."

The 22-times Grand Slam champion said he ⁠had been concerned about his physical condition after retirement, ⁠having endured years of injuries and pain during his career.

"After two years of being retired, I can say that most of the ⁠time ‌I am in good shape," Nadal said. "I am not going through a lot of pain on a daily basis, something that for me is very important because I suffered enough for so many years."

The Spaniard said the chance to return to the court in ⁠Las Vegas appealed because he knew the venue and organisers, though he had to ​think carefully before agreeing to play.

"For me ‌it will be a test that will tell me things, so let's see," he said. "I am just excited to be ⁠back on court in front ​of an amazing crowd."

Nadal also competed at the event in 2024 where he faced Carlos Alcaraz.

Organisers have yet to reveal the rest of the field, but Nadal did not rule out playing with or against longtime rival and close friend Roger Federer at the MGM Slam or another exhibition.

"We talk very ⁠often," Nadal said of Federer. "If we find the right place, the right moment, ​I think we'll be excited to play against each other, or to play together in doubles."

Turning to the current generation, Nadal singled out Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the young players he would most have liked to face more often.

He also praised the potential of American Ben Shelton, though ⁠he said the US Open runner-up was not yet fully consistent.

Nadal cautioned against comparing Alcaraz and Sinner's developing rivalry with the era defined by his matches against Federer and Novak Djokovic.

"They need time. They need to create their own stories," Nadal said. "They are doing amazing things in terms of results. Let's give them time."

GRUELING TENNIS SCHEDULE

Alcaraz and Sinner both missed significant periods through injury this season, while three of the year's four ​Grand Slam tournaments were played in brutally hot conditions.

Nadal reiterated his long-held concerns about the demands ⁠of the men's tennis calendar, particularly the number of mandatory tournaments and the prevalence of hardcourt events.

"The problem is not how long is the ​calendar," Nadal said. "The problem is how long is the calendar in terms of mandatory tournaments."

He ‌said players should have greater freedom to skip events without suffering a ​substantial rankings penalty and suggested that tournaments after the US Open could be reduced or count towards the following season.

The MGM Slam will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 28.

(Reporting by Rory CarrollEditing by Toby Davis)

Thank you for your report!

文件照片：网球 - 戴维斯杯决赛 - 四分之一决赛 - 荷兰 v 西班牙 - 西班牙马拉加帕拉西奥·玛丽亚·马丁·卡佩纳竞技场 - 2024 年 11 月 19 日，西班牙选手拉斐尔·纳达尔在对阵荷兰 Botic van de Zandschulp 的比赛中表现出色 REUTERS/Juan Medina/文件照片

11月4日（路透社）——前世界排名第一的拉斐尔·纳达尔正在享受退役后的生活，并且基本摆脱了职业生涯最后几年所经历的日常疼痛，但他表示，即将到来的拉斯维加斯表演赛将检验他的身体是否还能再次承受高强度的备战。

两年前从职业网球界退役的纳达尔，在2月份的米高梅大满贯赛前加紧训练，同时还要兼顾商业事务和与两个年幼孩子的家庭生活。

“生活待我不薄，”纳达尔在西班牙马略卡岛的家中告诉路透社。

“说实话，我很享受这段新的时光，旅行和工作都比预期的要多，但这都是好事。”

这位22次大满贯冠军得主表示，退役后他一直担心自己的身体状况，因为在职业生涯中他饱受多年的伤病和痛苦折磨。

纳达尔说：“退役两年后，我可以说我大部分时间状态都很好。我不再每天都承受很多痛苦，这对我来说非常重要，因为我多年来已经受够了痛苦。”

这位西班牙人表示，能够重返拉斯维加斯的赛场对他很有吸引力，因为他熟悉比赛场地和组织者，不过在同意参赛之前，他必须仔细考虑。

“对我来说，这将是一次考验，它会告诉我很多东西，让我们拭目以待吧，”他说。“我很高兴能重返赛场，在如此热情的观众面前比赛。”

纳达尔也参加了 2024 年的这项赛事，当时他的对手是卡洛斯·阿尔卡拉斯。

组织者尚未公布其余参赛选手名单，但纳达尔并未排除在米高梅大满贯赛或其他表演赛中与老对手兼好友罗杰·费德勒同场竞技或交锋的可能性。

纳达尔谈到费德勒时说：“我们经常联系。如果找到合适的地点和时机，我想我们会很乐意彼此对决，或者搭档参加双打比赛。”

谈到现役球员，纳达尔特别指出阿尔卡拉斯和辛纳是他最希望经常交手的年轻球员。

他还称赞了美国选手本·谢尔顿的潜力，尽管他表示这位美国网球公开赛亚军的发挥还不够稳定。

纳达尔告诫人们不要将阿尔卡拉斯和辛纳之间正在形成的竞争与他与费德勒和诺瓦克·德约科维奇的比赛所定义的时代相提并论。

“他们需要时间。他们需要创造属于自己的故事，”纳达尔说。“他们在成绩方面已经取得了惊人的成就。让我们给他们时间吧。”

艰苦的网球赛程

阿尔卡拉斯和辛纳本赛季都因伤缺席了相当长一段时间，而今年的四项大满贯赛事中有三项是在酷热的条件下进行的。

纳达尔重申了他长期以来对男子网球赛程安排的担忧，特别是强制性赛事的数量和硬地赛事的普遍性。

纳达尔说：“问题不在于赛程有多长，而在于强制性赛事的赛程有多长。”

他表示，球员应该有更大的自由度放弃参加比赛，而不会受到严重的排名处罚，并建议可以减少美国公开赛之后的比赛场次，或者将比赛计入下一个赛季。

MGM Slam 将于 2 月 28 日在拉斯维加斯的 T-Mobile 体育馆举行。

（Rory Carroll报道，Toby Davis编辑）

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