Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal has announced that he will not be competing in the upcoming Madrid Open due to a slow recovery from a hip injury sustained during the Australian Open in January. This marks the latest setback for the 22-times Grand Slam winner, who had already missed several other high-profile tournaments due to the same injury.
Nadal out of Madrid Open
Nadal was initially expected to recover from the injury in six to eight weeks. However, he has now revealed that the recovery process has taken over twice that amount of time, a total of fourteen weeks, due to complications. Nadal’s injury effectively ended his title defence at the Australian Open, as he was forced to withdraw after a second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald.
In a video posted on his social media accounts, Nadal stated that all medical indications have been followed, but the evolution of his injury has not been as expected. The 34-year-old tennis player expressed his disappointment, stating that he had hoped to compete in some of the most important tournaments in his career, including Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros. He had already missed the Monte Carlo and Barcelona tournaments due to his ongoing injury.
The Spaniard, who has dominated the clay court season for years, expressed his hope of being fully fit for the Grand Slam tournament, which starts in May. However, he admitted that the situation was not optimistic.
Ongoing Treatment and Uncertainty About Recovery
“The injury still hasn’t healed and I can’t work out what I need to compete,” Nadal said. “I was training, but a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next. I can’t give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you, but I don’t know. This is how things are now.”
Nadal is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, having won 86 career titles, including 60 on clay. He has also been a dominant force at the French Open, winning the tournament 13 times. However, his latest injury setback has raised questions about his ability to compete at the highest level again.
