Rafa Nadal’s return to the courts has lasted less than his followers expected. The Manacoran tennis player fell last Friday in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane tournament against Thompson in a match marked by physical discomfort. Although at first he wanted to reassure everyone, in the end the Spaniard will not compete in the Australian Open, the first major event of 2024.
Nadal himself was in charge of confirming it this Sunday with a statement on social networks in which, far from appearing sunk by this new setback, he wanted to convey positivity for his recovery and everything that comes in this new year.
In that statement, the winner of 22 Grand Slams has revealed the details of his injury, which initially, after the discomfort he felt in the match against Thompson, was associated with the iliopsoas, which kept him off the court for almost one year.
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… pic.twitter.com/FoFrr5AgMZ— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) January 7, 2024
“I have a microtear in a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury,” reported the Spaniard after undergoing an MRI upon arrival in Melbourne (Australia).
Although it is not what Nadal desired, he does consider that “it is good news” that the injury is not in that psoas iliac that has caused him so much suffering.
Rafa has confessed that the first step in his recovery, which will not make him arrive in time for the Australian Open, is to travel to Spain to see his doctor, “receive treatment and rest.”
In theory, Rafa Nadal could be out for just a week due to this muscle microtear. This is the time it usually takes for athletes to recover from this type of injury, but the truth is that the tennis player does not want to risk it.
The man from Manaco is clear that he is not in a position to “compete at the highest level of demand in five-set matches”, which is why he is not risking his future by attending the Australian Open, whose matches are a minimum of three sets.
By not taking risks, Nadal could be securing his great goal in the last stage of his professional life as a tennis player, which he himself has emphasized in that statement: “My goal is to be at my best level in 3 months.”
2024-01-08 07:43:01
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