Rafael Nadal urged to find specific Roger Federer trait if comeback is to be a success

Rafael Nadal is gearing up to make his long-awaited return from injury at the Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal has been warned that he will need to emulate Roger Federer by quickly ‘finding his rhythm’ in order for his long-awaited return to go down as a success. The Spaniard is currently working his way back from a hip injury and is expected to make his comeback in Brisbane later this month before playing at the Australian Open.

Nadal will certainly be hoping to add to his long list of titles in 2024, with the 37-year-old having already said that he is planning to retire at the end of next year. However, it remains to be seen if he will be able to produce his best tennis after spending so long on the treatment table following his injury at the Australian Open last year.

Sebastien Grosjean, who reached four Grand Slam semi-finals during his career, believes that Nadal will need to take a leaf from Federer’s book in order to ensure a successful return to the court.

“I’m a fan of Rafa, I love the champion and the man, so I’m delighted, it’s great that he’s coming back,” Grosjean told L’Equipe. “It’s a good sign, it’s good. I can’t wait to see him again. We’ll see how he recovers, we’ll see him train.

“If he announced his return for Brisbane and Melbourne, it is because, on a physical level, he is there. These champions, once they return to competition, they find the rhythm. Federer did it after Wimbledon [in 2016] – the [knee] operation, six months of absence and, behind that, he won the Australian Open and Wimbledon [in 2017].”

Nadal has tumbled down the rankings as a result of his injury absence and now sits outside the world’s top 600, having dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in over 17 years in March. It means that he will be unseeded at the Australian Open, which could potentially see him pitted against Novak Djokovic or another big-name player early on