Can Rafa Nadal win the Australian Open 2015?

Rafa Nadal produced one of his typical fighting performances in the second round at the Australian Open, coming back from two sets to one behind to win his match. His fans must have breathed a sigh of relief and would be hoping now for better things for Nadal, especially considering his draw henceforth.

The big question though is: Can Nadal win the Australian Open 2015?

For any other player in similar circumstances, we would not be even having this conversation. Nadal has had a horrid last six months when he has struggled with multiple injuries to his back and wrist and played less than 10 matches. He has lost to much lower ranked players and seemed vulnerable on the court.

However Nadal has himself expressed a desire to win a second Australian Open title. And when great champions are hungry and focused, you cannot take your eyes off them completely.

The tennis Gods Down Under have not been kind to Nadal in the last few years. He lost a marathon six hour encounter against Djokovic in the 2012 Australian Open final. In 2014, he suffered a terrible back injury and lost to Stan Wawrinka, a player he had never lost to before. He has had injury issues many other times also.

This time he is again coming back from injury and with lesser expectations. He has not played much tennis in the last six months. However it can also be a blessing in disguise as it also means his body is without much wear and tear. If he can get through the initial rounds and get some rhythm, he can be a threat to anyone on his day.

His draw is also kind and he is likely to face Tomas Berdych in the quarters and Roger Federer in the semifinal, two players against whom he holds a psychological edge. A hungry Nadal would be hard to beat by any of these. And once in a slam final, there is no tougher opponent than Rafa Nadal.

If his injury issues do not crop up again, expect Nadal to contest for the title on the men’s final day and beat his opponent to complete his second career slam, tying Rod Laver in the process. The tennis Gods Down Under would finally smile on the Mallorcan.

 It will be a monumental comeback and achievement for the comeback king of tennis, and would further solidify his status as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Rafa: My Story