Andrea Petkovic believes age is playing a big role in Rafael Nadal’s injury recovery

Former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic recently stated that age has played a big role in the drawn-out nature of Rafael Nadal's injury recovery.

On Friday, May 5, Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Italian Open in Rome, where he is a record 10-time champion. This means that the Spaniard, for the first time in his career, could compete at Roland Garros without any matches played during the claycourt season.

Nadal has been out of action since the Australian Open in January, where he suffered an injury to his left hip. He has played only four matches in 2023, winning just once (against Jack Draper) and losing thrice (to Cameron Norrie, Alex de Minaur, and Mackenzie McDonald).

Former World No. 9 Petkovic, speaking on the Tennis Channel, theorized that the soon-to-be-37 Nadal is not making a quick recovery from his injury this time because the body takes longer to heal as one gets older.

“I think we're tip-toeing around it a bit, but the thing that comes into play is age. Unfortunately, it is age. That's why it takes so much longer to recover [from] an injury that we initially thought would take six to eight week. Now it's become longer and longer,” she said.

“But this is what age does to you,” she added. “Unfortunately is the slowdown recovery time, the injuries take longer to feel a hundred percent. Do they ever feel 100%? That's the question.”

Petkovic, however, believes that Nadal will be the favorite to win the French Open if he is fit enough to compete.

“He's still the best on clay and if he shows up at Roland Garros, he’s still the favorite to win. So hopefully we'll get to see him in Roland Garros and if not there, [then] soon back on the [ATP] tour,” she opined.

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“Tough to imagine him in Roland Garros” - Chanda Rubin on Rafael Nadal's 2023 French Open participation

Rafael Nadal in action at the 2022 French Open.

Former American top-10 tennis player Chanda Rubin has cast doubt about Rafael Nadal participating in Roland Garros this year.

Nadal's uncle Toni recently said that the Spaniard will be back in time to play the French Open next month. Rubin, however, remains unconvinced.

“Is that for is that [Nadal’s uncle Toni saying Spaniard will play French Open] for sure? Is that a hundred percent from uncle Tony? I don’t know,” she said, speaking on Tennis Channel.

“But I do think it's tough when you pull out of Rome and there are literally no matches going into Roland Garros. Certainly you hope that for Rafa, it means that he's a hundred percent or maybe right there, and he just wasn't quite ready for Rome but he will be ready for Paris,” she added.

That said, Rubin believes that Nadal will have a good shot at winning his 23rd Grand Slam title if he takes part in the French Open.

“I think if he is, absolutely, you still have to give him a shot. He's that good on this surface,” she said. “But the concern is that the injury is still a problem that he's not quite ready physically, and if he's in that state right now, as we speak, it would be tough to imagine him in Roland Garros.”