Rafael Nadal announced this Sunday on his X account (formerly Twitter) that he will not take part in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season, due to an injury. The event begins on January 14 in Melbourne, but the Spanish tennis player cannot take part due to the physical setback he suffered on Friday during the duel in Brisbane against Australian Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals of this tournament. In the third set, when the clock had already passed three hours – it was, after all, 3 hours and 25 minutes – the 22-time champion sought treatment for some groin discomfort but was able to finish the match. Nadal lost 5:7, 7:6 (6) and 6:3.
“Hello everyone, I had a small muscle problem during my last game in Brisbane [el psoas ilíaco, del que se operó en junio] Which, as you know, worried me. When I arrived in Melbourne I had the opportunity to undergo an MRI and I had a micro-tear in a muscle, not where I had the injury, and that's good news,” the Spaniard explained of his social networks thing this Sunday. “At the moment I am not ready to compete in five-set matches at the highest level. I am returning to Spain to see my doctor, get treatment and rest,” added the Mallorcan, who returned to competition this week after almost a year off.
Hello everyone, during my last game in Brisbane I had a small muscle problem which as you know was causing me concern. When I arrived in Melbourne I had the opportunity to have an MRI and I had micro tears in a muscle not where I had the injury and that's good news.
Right… pic.twitter.com/WpApfzjf3C— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) January 7, 2024
Nadal had not played an official match since January 18, when he tore his iliopsoas tendon during a duel with American Mackenzie McDonald. Although six to eight weeks of sick leave were predicted at the time, the absence was prolonged and he ended up having to give up the rest of the year after undergoing surgery in June to undergo surgery on the damaged muscle and also an old problem pulled at the hip. After the operation, he immediately began rehabilitation and in October he started hitting the first balls, but it was only a little over a month ago that he really increased the intensity.
Well, inside is where the bad stuff is
In other news on The first event on the calendar is the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 6th. Later, from May 26th to June 9th, Roland Garros, the big goal of the Balearic Islands, will take place. “Aside from the sad news for me of not being able to play in front of the incredible crowd in Melbourne, it's not bad news and we all remain positive about how the season is going. I really wanted to play here in Australia and I had the opportunity to play some games that made me very happy and positive. Thank you everyone for your support and see you soon!” he added in the message.
En route to Spain, the tennis player, who turns 38 on June 3, will be examined upon arrival by his personal doctor, the Cantabrian Ángel Ruiz Cotorro. If your calendar was already open and changing as the day unfolded, you will now be more focused than ever on getting to the clay court season in the best possible conditions. Currently, Nadal has confirmed his presence at an exhibition in Las Vegas (organized by Netflix) with the Murcian Carlos Alcaraz on March 3, and his presence was also recently officially confirmed at the Open Banc Sabadell in Barcelona between the 15th and 21st. April.
Nadal, against Thompson. JONO SEARLE (EFE)
However, it's all up in the air. Nadal doesn't want to take any risks and has therefore ruled out even the slightest possibility of forcing him to compete in Melbourne. Today the Balearic player moves between two realities: that of his tennis and that of his body. The three games in Brisbane gave a hopeful feeling as he managed to show that he can return to his playing level relatively quickly; He defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler with ease and missed three match points against Thompson. But at the same time, this last pulse reflected that his body still cannot withstand more severe stress and that, logically, he needs a longer break-in period.
The next quarter will be significant. Meeting with this newspaper in Kuwait in mid-December, the athlete explained that when he arrived at Roland Garros he would already know whether 2024 would be his last active year or not. The two victories on his comeback have given him a remarkable jump in the ATP rankings from No. 672 to No. 451, but he will be relegated for not taking part in Melbourne – he won a match last year – and the circumstances are complex. Nadal, he says, accepts them; I knew it would be very difficult. He will stop again, but will jump back into the fray to say goodbye on the track. Since the double success in 2022, when he conquered Australia and Roland Garros, he has missed four of the seven major tournaments held; In the three games he played, he suffered one physical mishap.
With that last entry crossed out, there are now 16 he has lost to injury in his 22-year elite career.
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