"Here we see a wild Nadal in his natural habitat" - Tennis fans react to Rafael Nadal's return to training at Rafa Nadal Academy ahead of Paris Masters

After dealing with multiple injuries in the second half of the season, Rafael Nadal seems to have finally fully recovered and is set to return to action later this month at the Paris Masters, an ATP 1000 tournament scheduled from October 31 to November 6.

The first six months saw the Spaniard clinch four titles, including two Grand Slams in Australia and Paris, making him the only man to reach 22 Majors so far. An unfortunate abdominal muscle tear forced him to withdraw from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships right before his semifinal clash against Nick Kyrgios.

The injury persisted at the 2022 US Open, where the 36-year-old lost to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. He decided to skip the 2022 Laver Cup until Roger Federer requested him to be a part of the last match of his career. The legendary duo teamed up but lost a close match against Tiafoe and Jack Sock.

Yesterday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion shared a few photographs of himself training at the Rafa Nadal Academy to prepare for the upcoming Paris Masters, a tournament that the Spaniard is yet to win.

Fans were excited to see the Mallorcan back and wished to see him compete at the Paris Masters, as well as the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from November 13-20.

"I'd really like to know that as well! I presume Mery has not had their baby yet so keeping fingers crossed for Paris and Turin! If he's training though I'm taking that as a sign we'll see him play before the end of the season," a fan said.

"Here we see a wild Nadal in its natural habitat. While this male is reaching the twilight of its reign over the court, it is still formidable. Many of the younger males have been trying to claim his territory, however, the seasoned individual has managed to push them off his court for the most part. Only time will tell how long he can continue to hold on, as is the nature of the tennis court," a user wrote.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

---

“I think that as long as he feels he has a chance of winning, he will continue" - Toni Nadal on Rafael Nadal

The nephew-uncle pair of Rafael and Toni Nadal.

During a recent interview, Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach Toni Nadal weighed in on his nephew's future. The 61-year-old stated that the 22-time Major winner doesn't think about any of his opponents and will play till he thinks he has a chance of winning tournaments.

“I think that as long as he feels he has a chance of winning, he will continue. If he goes to a tournament and has no chance of winning, I don’t think he will play. In the end, he has won too much to fold badly. How much time does Rafa have left? I don’t know, it will clearly depend on his rivals, on his body. Rafael plays for himself, he doesn’t think about whether Carlos Alcaraz, David Ferrer or even Novak Djokovic is there," he said.