MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal’s comeback from hip surgical procedure is on maintain after he withdrew from the Australian Open with an damage per week earlier than the beginning of the season’s first Grand Slam match.
The 22-time main champion stated Sunday on social media that medical checks he took in Melbourne revealed a small tear in a hip muscle and he would fly residence to Spain for therapy.
The 37-year-old Nadal has received the Australian Open twice — in 2009 and 2022 — and his absence will depart this 12 months’s occasion with out what had been anticipated to be one in every of its major storylines. It was a 12 months in the past at Melbourne Park that Nadal harm his hip flexor throughout a second-round loss to Mackie McDonald, then missed the remainder of the season.
Nadal had an operation in June and his return to the tour after practically 12 months away got here final week in Brisbane. After profitable two matches, the left-hander took a medical timeout through the third set of a quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson on Friday.
“Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried,” Nadal wrote Sunday. “Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news. Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level.”
The former No. 1-ranked participant’s profession has been marked by a collection of accidents, together with to his knees, left foot and left wrist, maybe related to his punishing type of play.
“A lot of things can be happening in a body like my body after a year without playing tennis,” he stated.
The loss to Thompson was Nadal’s third match in 4 nights and lasted practically 3 1/2 hours, following straight-set victories over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler.
Since arriving in Australia to start the season, Nadal appeared like somebody decreasing expectations for what he may obtain through the tour’s swing via the nation. He made clear that his focus was to be match for the clay-court season and the French Open, which begins in May and the place he has received a document 14 championships.
“I have worked very hard during the year for this comeback and as I always mentioned my goal is to be at my best level in 3 months,” he wrote Sunday.
“I really wanted to play here in Australia and I have had the chance to play a few matches that made me very happy and positive,” Nadal stated.
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 14 — the primary time it’s beginning on a Sunday, as an alternative of a Monday — and, in keeping with FanDuel Sportsbook, top-ranked Novak Djokovic is favored so as to add to his document totals of 24 Grand Slam trophies and 10 titles at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic dealt along with his personal well being challenge not too long ago, bothered by a sore proper wrist through the United Cup in Australia final week.
