2024-01-03 08:30:00
350 days of absence: Rafael Nadal fans were champing at the bit for almost a year before seeing the tennis player play a tournament again. For his return, the one who fell to 668th place in the world beat Dominic Thiem in the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, Australia (7-5, 6/1). Nadal has been away from competition for almost a year due to two hip surgeries. In 2023, “Rafa” missed Roland-Garros, which he won 14 times, for the first time since 2005. At 37, Rafael Nadal has already implied that 2024 could be his last season.
If it is too early to know if “the bull of Manacor” will make a successful comeback, he can draw inspiration from other great athletes who, after a serious injury, have returned to their best level. Examples.
Ronaldo
Throughout his football career, Ronaldo was hampered by injuries. But this one left its mark as the pain was perceptible on his face. The striker was seriously injured in April 2000: a torn patella tendon which kept him away from the field for a year and a half. Despite this long absence, the Brazilian was able to once again become the genius striker he was, winning the 2002 World Cup by finishing as the competition’s top scorer.
Samir Aït Saïd
This was one of the strong images of the Rio Olympics in 2016. The double fracture of the tibia-fibula of French gymnast Samir Aït Saïd had left its mark as it was so shocking. But not enough to extinguish the ambitions of the Frenchman, who returned to competition a little over a year later before winning a bronze medal in the rings at the world championships in 2019. During the last Olympics, in Tokyo, Samir Aït Saïd was the standard bearer for the French team, alongside judokate Clarisse Agbégnénou.
Paul George
He too was the victim of a tibia-fibula fracture: American basketball player Paul George was injured in August 2014, during a match with the American selection. The NBA star made his return almost a year later without losing his level. In 2016, he was part of the U.S. team that won the Olympic title.
Petr Cech
All football fans know how to recognize Petr Cech: with his helmet that made him famous, the goalkeeper, who retired in 2019, is particularly recognizable. The reason for wearing this helmet? In September 2006, while playing for Chelsea, the Czech goalkeeper suffered severe head trauma following a collision during a match and underwent emergency surgery.
Nothing to scare him. After an absence of a few months, Petr Cech is allowed to return to competition and will once again become the excellent goalkeeper he was before his injury. Until winning the Champions League in 2012, still with Chelsea.
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