Spanish Tennis star, Rafael Nadal has been ruled out of the Australian Open after suffering a minor muscle injury during his last game against Jordan Thompson in Brisbane on Friday.
The 20-time grand slam winner confirmed on Sunday that he had suffered a muscle tear and will serve some time on the sidelines.
The 37-year-old had spent a 12-month absence on the sidelines and in the last 15 days, he played one double and two singles after his return. Nadal has been injury-prone throughout his legendary career and has mostly powered through pain to conquer the courtyard.
Nadal posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had endured some pain and quandary after which he underwent an MRI, which eventually revealed a minor muscle tear.
“Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried. 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 stated.
Nadal, then confirmed that it would not be feasible for him to continue and he won’t be fit enough to compete in five-set matches. In addition to this, he announced that he would be flying back to Spain to get some treatment from his doctor.
The Spaniard had expressed earlier this year that he wanted to participate in the Mega-event of the Paris Olympics, but considering his injury-prone status, it seems far-fetched that he will be able to compete this year.
This year, Nadal will turn 38, in June and the legendary Tennis star is aiming to make a comeback in Roland Garros, which will commence in May 2024, where he has won the major title, a staggering 14 times.