By: Justin Gincauskas
Tennis fans must wait a little longer to see Rafael Nadal back at a Grand Slam. Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open Sunday after suffering a micro tear in a muscle during his match against Jordan Thompson Friday at the Brisbane International.
Nadal returned to the ATP Tour this past week for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open. He missed almost the entire season last year with a hip injury that required surgery.
Nadal began his comeback by defeating Dominic Thiem in the first round of the Brisbane International. He followed it up by taking out Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.
In his third round match against Thompson, Nadal received medical treatment for his hip in the third set after feeling some discomfort. Thompson went on to win the match, taking the deciding set 6-3.
After the match, Nadal took to Instagram to congratulate Thompson on the victory and let his fans know that he felt pain in a similar place to where he had his hip surgery. He hoped it was just a charged muscle and said he would undergo some tests.
Nadal Provides An Update On Social Media
Unfortunately, an MRI confirmed that Nadal suffered a micro tear and would not be ready to compete at the Australian Open. Nadal announced the news on social media but did say that the tear is not in the same area as his previous hip injury, and he is hopeful of reaching his original goal of being at his best in three months.
“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,” Nadal wrote. “Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest.”
“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. Within 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.”
Nadal will look to recover in time for the clay court season, which begins in April. By reaching his best shape by then, Nadal will give himself the best chance of peaking at the French Open, a Grand Slam he has won a record 14 times in his career. The French Open will take place at the end of May.
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