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Rabat – Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open on January 7 due to a microtear on his thigh muscle.
This incident came less than a week after he returned from a year-long injury layoff in the Brisbane competition.
“Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of excellence in 5-sets matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest,” Nadal declared on his official X account (formerly Twitter), two days after his defeat in the Brisbane quarter-finals.
During his three-hour match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson, the 37-year-old Spanish star felt muscle discomfort in his left thigh towards the end of the match.
“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,” he stated.
“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 went on to say.
After a protracted break, the former world number one and holder of 22 Grand Slam titles, now ranked 672nd worldwide, had not competed in singles since a hip injury on January 18, 2018 when he lost in the second round of the Australian Open.
Following two surgeries and several months of recovery, the Spanish player returned on January 2 in the first round in Brisbane, winning against Austria’s Dominic Thiem (7-5, 6-1).
He subsequently advanced to the quarterfinals by swiftly defeating Australia’s Jason Kubler (6-1, 6-2).
“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 concluded.
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