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'Marc Lopez told me Nadal is absolutely ready for Brisbane. But not sure if he can win another Grand Slam'
Nadal, who underwent a hip surgery in June, is all set to make an injury return in January at the Brisbane International
There was little buzz around the arrival of Carlos Gomez Ferre at the RK Khanna Stadium on Sunday. The DLTA Complex was indeed all decked up for the final day of the 2023 Pro Tennis League. There were a few food stalls and some activities to keep the crowd engaged. Showing some mercy amid the cold Delhi winter, the sun had decided to dish out a pleasant afternoon for the ardent tennis community of the capital city that had flocked to Hauz Khas. One could distinctly hear the fairly distributed spectators on Centre Court as Gurgaon Sapphires took on Sankara Stag Babolat Yoddhas in the opening semifinal match. But away from the hullabaloo of the tense clash, in one of the warm-up courts, where the loud cheers from the boisterous onlookers had faded into oblivion, Carlos was engaged in what was called a 'tennis clinic', comprising some 25-30 children.
The Spanish accent was fairly well-defined even from a distance as Carlos instructed the kids to assemble. "Okay kids, we will have one last round of hit now," he said before the two-hour session came to an end. But the 41-year-old was far from being free. A few autographs, lot many selfies, and a few parents keen on his academy in Barcelona, kept the Spaniard occupied.
Carlos holds a notable position in the Spanish tennis community. Although he had a brief professional career himself as a tennis player, Carlos is better known for his association with Marc Lopez, whom he had coached to a career-high doubles ranking of No. 3, but the one that sits atop his résumé, is witnessing his apprentice clinch the Olympic gold in Rio 2016 along with the legendary Rafael Nadal.
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"That's maybe one of my best achievements," his eyes sparkled. "I can still feel it, you know."
Nadal, the 2008 Beijing singles champion, who battled from serious fitness concerns to even make the Olympics, was made to wait for the elusive gold after his Romanian opponents in Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau secured early break in the second set, before holding serve to force a decider. Nadal and Lopez looked a tad nervy in the third set, but stood toe-to-toe till 4-4. The Spaniards then increased the pressure as they drew a crucial error, leaving the Romanians to face a third match point. Megea and Tecau, whose two spectacular smashes helped them bounce back from deuce a while earlier, erred in the third as Nadal and Lopez scripted a valiant 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 triumph. It was Lopez's maiden Olympic win, while Nadal became only the second player to won a singles and doubles gold medal in men's tennis after Chile's Nicolás Massú had recorded the feat in 2004 Athens.
"I vividly remember that when we won, I was on the seat, and I jumped with Toni Nadal. We saw each other, we cried and we didn't have words to say. I was shocked thinking what just happened. Then when I saw Rafa and Marc on the floor...I got goosebumps. It was then that I realised that we had achieved something very big, probably bigger than we expected or even imagined. And that moments has still been with me. When my kids are a little older, I will surely tell them," Carlos said with a beaming smile.
"That win was a like a dream. To be in Olympics itself is amazing, but to come back home with the medal was absolutely crazy for everybody," he added.
It wasn't however Carlos' first association with Nadal. Having turned pro just around the same time, the two compatriots have known each other since childhood. And very unapologetically, the now renowned Spanish tennis coach, admitted that he wasn't impressed with Nadal back then, before bursting into laughter.
"I met Rafa when he was 11 or 12 years old. And he did not impress me that much back then, because it's different when you meet someone as a kid. Then for us, it's like normal. Sometimes I need to close my eyes and think, this guy is a legend. But we are super close," he said.
Carlos further said that despite Rafa's 22 Grand Slam wins and status as one of the GOATS of men's tennis, his humility has always left him astonished.
"Outside the court, he is unbelievable guy. He never say no to a picture to any of his fans, and always has time for everybody. He's a great friend. And he didn't change his lifestyle. He still likes to fish in the boat, play golf, spend time with his friends, now with his wife and kids. He's a great guy," Carlos added.
Nadal set for Brisbane return
For Lopez, the Olympic win wasn't his only association with Nadal. They had first paired up in 2009 to claim the Qatar Open title and clinched it again in 2011. They also won two Indian Wells titles in 2010 and 2012. Five years post that big victory in Rio, and a year before his official retirement, the 41-year-old joined Nadal's coaching team. And he remains an active member of the coaching unit as the former world No. 1 aims to make a comeback at the Brisbane International in the first week of January after a long injury layoff.
Nadal has been out action since January this year after incurring a hip injury during his second-round loss at the Australian Open. He later underwent a surgery in June and has since been recovering before social media was flooded with videos since September of the Spaniard having hit the court. Earlier in December, Nadal officially confirmed that Brisbane is where he will mark his return to the tour.
Carlos, who admitted that he has been getting information in Nadal's fitness in his conversations with Lopez, revealed that he has been told that the 37-year-old is "absolutely ready" to make a return, the news didn't leave him surprised at all despite what legend went through in the last 12 months.
"He just wants to play again. He wants to feel being a tennis player again. And of course him deciding to play is because he feels that he can be competitive again, and that is not just be back in top 10 or 20. He just feels he can probably win again. I did not seem him for quite a while now, but I talk a lot with Marc, and he told me that he's absolutely ready to play on January. I hope he can surprise to everybody with his comeback, but probably not me, because I have seen him do this so many times."
When asked if he does see Nadal win another Grand Slam amid the Spaniard urging fans to lower their expectations, Carlos added, "Who knows. I just want him to be healthy, so that he can play again and be on the court and enjoy his time. For sure he can win titles and make big achievements, but I don't know he if can win a Grand Slam. People have been asking me thus question a lot now and I really don't know what to say because winning a major is a big achievement. Djokovic, Federer and Rafa have made it look easier, but trust me, that is an unbelievable thing."
