Injury doesn’t allow it: Nadal cancels the Australian Open!

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Rafael Nadal (37) is still struggling with a hip injury after his comeback. So much so that he has to cancel the Australian Open.

“During my last match in Brisbane I had a muscle problem. When I arrived in Melbourne I did an MRI and it was discovered that there was a tear in the muscle,” the Spaniard said on Instagram. However, the injury is not in the same place as the injury that forced him to take a long break .

He does not yet feel ready to play five sets at the highest level and that is why he will not participate in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. “I am flying back to Spain to consult my doctor, be treated and rest.”

Nadal never in Australia again?

Nevertheless, the 22-time Grand Slam champion remains positive: “Despite the sad news that I will not be able to play in front of the incredible crowd in Melbourne, it is not bad news and we remain optimistic for the rest of the season.” The three matches he played in the 500cc tournament in Brisbane (ending in the quarter-finals) “made me very happy”. He does not lose sight of his goal: to be able to play at his best level in three months.

In Brisbane, the Mallorcan made his return to the ATP tour after a break of almost a year. Nadal played his last match to date at last year’s Australian Open, when he was eliminated in the second round. He then announced that he was suffering from a hip injury and would be sidelined. At the beginning of June he even underwent surgery, which meant he didn’t play any more tournaments for the rest of the year. He has now fallen to 451st place in the rankings.

Will Nadal never play Down Under again? In May 2023, Nadal announced that the current season could possibly be the last of his professional career. And since all the ATP tournaments in Australia took place at the beginning of the year, Brisbane could have been his last tournament in the land of the kangaroos.

Source : Blick