Rafael Nadal has insisted his left wrist is feeling well ahead of his return to the Tour in 2017, but the King of Clay admitted he is not yet ready to play singles matches.
Frederico Marques, who currently coaches Portugal's Joao Sousa, provided an update about Nadal's form ahead of the latter's much-anticipated return to the tennis scene next season. Marques said in an interview with Tenis Portugal that the 14-time Grand Slam winner has improved physically and is playing better after seeing Nadal in practice at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca.
"In terms of the level of his game during practice, I saw a much better (Rafa) than last year," Marques said via Tennis World. "To me, he has improved physically, you can notice it seeing the speed of his ball and his position on the court."
Nadal suffered a left wrist injury during his impressive run at the French Open earlier this year. He was able to recover from the setback highlighted by a Gold Medal finish at the Olympics' doubles competition, but Rafa decided to sit out the remainder of the season to fully recuperate from the injury.
But being in full health isn't the only game plan Nadal has for next season. The 30-year-old Spaniard, who now sits at No. 9 in the ATP world rankings, bolstered his coaching staff by adding Spain's former world No. 1 Carlos Moya.
"To have someone like Carlos who is not only a friend but also a very important person in my career is something special," Nadal said, reports the BBC.
Moya, who parted ways with Canada's Milos Raonic last month, will join Toni Nadal and Francis Roig in helping Rafa get back to his winning form.
"Rafa is a special player and, above all, a great person and friend," Moya said.