Spanish tennis star and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal announced on social media on the 7th: He will withdraw from this year's Australian Open tennis tournament due to a torn leg muscle. According to CNN, Nadal suffered an injury at the ATP tournament in Brisbane, after he had been out of action for a year.
According to Reuters, Nadal was injured in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open against McDonald and underwent surgery in June of the same year and did not play again throughout the 2023 season. The Brisbane tournament was Nadal's comeback game, but the Spaniard was once again struck down by injury, which has led to speculation about the former world number one's ability to compete in elite events.
Nadal said: "I had an MRI in Melbourne and there was a slight tear in the muscle, but fortunately it wasn't where I was injured, which is good news. Right now I'm not at the best level of playing five sets. Therefore, I will fly back to Spain to receive the doctor's ** and rest. In May 2023, Nadal had said that 2024 was the last year of his career. But ahead of Brisbane, Nadal said he was "not sure if this is his last season".
According to a BBC analysis, the 37-year-old will focus on recovering to ensure he is ready for the French Open, which opens on May 20, and has won 14 singles trophies on Roland Garros' clay court. Judging by Nadal's statement, he is in good shape, and such a slight injury will not cause much trouble.
In contrast to Nadal's dominance on clay, he has only won the Australian Open singles title twice, in 2009 and 2022, 13 years apart, reaching four of his six Australian Open finals, and Nadal has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. In the men's singles final of the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal and Medvedev battled it out in five sets, but this victory also put his body under serious challenge.
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