The current state of Rafael Nadal’s appendix and his appetite for tennis over the next dark and indoor month in Northern Europe, is turning into something of a saga.
First a television station in his native Spain reported the world no.3 he would definitely miss next month’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London to undergo surgery. Almost immediately the news was refuted by Nadal’s spokesman Benito Pérez-Barbadillo.
The official version, according to a statement issued by Pérez-Barbadillo, reads: “Rafa Nadal will play Basel this upcoming week and, depending on how he feels and the advice from his doctors, will decide after the tournament on his schedule.”
Spanish broadcaster IB3 is normally accurate on its’ news about Nadal and screened a three minutes long item, featuring both Rafa and his coach/uncle Toni, that was categorical that the French Open champion would play next week’s Swiss Indoors in Basel and the ensuing BNP Paribas Masters in Paris but then offer his apologies to both and then the London 02 event.
The fact Nadal signed a lucrative three year deal to appear at the Basel event in 2012 and then was forced to miss last year’s event after citing fatigue, might have something to do with his decision.
If financial reward is paramount in Nadal’s thoughts, he will also want to be fit and firing in time for the highly rewarded exhibition event, the Mubadala World Tennis Championship that begins in Abu Dhabi on New Year’s Day.
Greg Sproule, the Middle East head of IMG who organizes the tournament, was quoted in the Abu Dhabi produced National newspaper as saying: “The latest [with Nadal] is that we’re in touch with his team on a regular basis.
“He just played in China and that means he is back and playing, which is great news. We’re in touch with his manager Carlos Costa, who has said he is coming to Abu Dhabi.
“We have to rely on what he is saying and we pressed him quite hard in terms of is he coming, and he said yes and said put me down and quote me that he is coming. So that is the strongest endorsement we can get.”
Marca, the respected Spanish newspaper, quoted Toni Nadal as saying: “We will go to Basel and then see what happens. It’s a matter of knowing when to operate, whether before or after Paris.”
Story via Bob Larson tennis.
Topics: appendix, Atp World Tour, Rafa, Tennis News, Tony Nadal
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