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Rafael Nadal said his recovery from a rib injury has been like a “roller coaster” after the 21-times grand slam champion got back to action with a success over Miomir Kecmanovic at the Madrid Open.
The Australian Open boss was playing in his most memorable occasion since getting the injury at Indian Wells in March however gave little indications of rust, cruising to a 6-1 7-6(4) triumph on Wednesday.
“I leave the match very, very happy. You have to be sincere with yourself … my preparation has not existed. You cannot expect great things at the beginning,” Nadal told reporters.
“All trainings have had some up-and-downs, it’s been a roller coaster. I have had better days, worse days. At the end of the day, the rib is a problem that limits your game a lot.”
The Spaniard added that preparing had been tough because of the idea of the injury yet he was not stressed over his lack of practice ahead of the French Open in the not so distant future, where he will offer for a record-broadening fourteenth title.
“I don’t have any pain in my rib. I had a little bit of pain at the beginning of the week, and then I went to get a MRI so they could check it, Friday or Saturday when I came here, and the image on the machine was good.”
Rafael Nadal, a five-times champion in Madrid, will take on Belgium’s David Goffin in the last 16 later on Thursday.
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