Spanish superstar says his body is \u2018not ready to compete at maximum level in five-set matches\u2019
\nMELBOURNE
\nSpanish superstar Rafael Nadal on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a \u201cmicro tear on a muscle\u201d barely a week after making his comeback from a year-long injury absence, but said he remained positive.
\nThe 37-year-old had been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 Australian Open, undergoing surgery before making his comeback at the Brisbane International.
\nHe won his opening two matches, but needed a medical timeout towards the end of his quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson after feeling pain in his upper left thigh.
\n\u201cDuring my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried,\u201d he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
\n\u201cOnce 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\u2019s good news.
\n\u201cRight now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of five-set matches. I\u2019m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest.\u201d
\nInjuries have been a recurring theme of Nadal\u2019s record-breaking career, a painful by-product of his all-action, brutal-hitting style that has led to struggles with serious knee, wrist and foot problems.
\nThe 22-time Grand Slam champion stressed in Brisbane that he did not come into the tournament expecting to win, and hinted that the Australian Open was coming too soon for him.
\n\u201cI 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 three months,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWithin the sad news for me for not being able to play in front of the amazing Melbourne crowds, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season.
\n\u201cI 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. Thanks all for the support and see you soon.\u201d
\nDuring his career, Nadal dominated the French Open, where he won 14 of his majors, his first arriving just days after his 19th birthday in 2005, his last in 2022 making him the event\u2019s oldest champion.
\nHe is a four-time champion at the US Open, won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, and is a two-time winner at the Australian Open — with 13 years spanning his first triumph at Melbourne Park in 2009 and his second in 2022.
\nThe injury absence saw Nadal\u2019s ranking slip to 672 while rival Novak Djokovic has passed him in the Grand Slam title count with 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spanish superstar says his body is \u2018not ready to compete at maximum level in five-set matches\u2019 MELBOURNE Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a \u201cmicro tear on a muscle\u201d barely a week after making his comeback from a year-long injury absence, but said he remained positive. The 37-year-old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-379391","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n