Rafael Nadal announced in May that he was making the difficult decision to step back from tennis as he rehabilitated his hip from an injury stemming back to January during the Australian Open. He underwent surgery at the beginning of June. The Spaniard favorite is noticeably missing from the US Open, but recent reports suggest he may make his return at the Davis Cup tournament.

Doctors revealed that the normal recovery process for Nadal’s surgery is a an estimated five months, which would be the beginning of November. Per Clay, who spoke to David Ferrer, his former rival and now captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team, Nadal wants to play in the Davis Cup final this year. “He was the one who once told me, ‘My goal is to have a goal, to reach the Davis Cup at the end of the year if you qualify,’” he said.

“First we have to qualify, of course, but for me, it would be incredible. What I want to know is how he is, because he is a friend of mine. And then comes the Davis Cup,” he told the outlet. The Davis Cup Finals will run from November 20-26 in Malaga, Spain, so the timing works for his estimated recovery.

The main concern is that he does not get injured again. His problem “is not a tennis problem,” he said. “He touches the ball, and it flies with the same speed and power as before. It’s a problem of him being able to maintain physical regularity and not get injured.”

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcarez: Dream team

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The dream is that Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, a favorite to win the US Open, make a dream team together for Spain. Nadal reportedly told Ferrer the rehabilitation is going well. “Rafa is the best in the history of our country and one of the best ever. And Carlos is on his way to being one of them. I would love to have and live the opportunity to have both of them.”