By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday April 20, 2023
The King of Clay is still dealing with his hip injury, and is unsure about his return.
Photo Source: Getty
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday, April 20, 2023
The hip injury that sent Rafael Nadal out of this year’s Australian Open continues to cause the Spaniard problems. Nadal announced that he will skip next week’s Mutua Madrid Open and hinted that he is unsure about how his recovery will pan out over the next weeks.
Speaking in a video message, and on Twitter, Nadal updated on his current situation.
“In principle it had to be six to eight weeks of recovery period and we are already going for fourteen,” he said. “The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected. All medical indications have been followed, but the evolution has not been what we were initially told."
Nadal, who has not played since January after he injured the hip in his second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open, admitted that he is in a tricky spot, with Roland-Garros now just over five weeks away.
“We are in a difficult situation,” he wrote. “Weeks go by and I had the illusion of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and at the moment I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona – Unfortunately, I will not be able to be in Madrid. The injury still hasn't healed and I am not ready to do what I need to compete.”
The 14-time French Open champion said that he is changing course on his treatment at the moment, in the hopes that he can speed his timetable up.
“I was training, but now a few days ago we decided to change course a little bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to whatever comes,” he said. “I can't give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don't know. This is the current situation.
“I just have to try to be with the right attitude during all this time, try to give me the opportunity to compete in one of the tournaments that remain of the clay season and I have no choice but to work and be with the right mentality.”