Izuchukwu OkosiSpanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is set to miss six to eight weeks of tennis action after picking up a hip flexor injury during his shock second-round exit at the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday.
This piece of information was provided by the player’s management team.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe 22-time major champion was unable to defend his crown at Melbourne Park despite heading to the tournament as the top seed and was eliminated by American world No.65 Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets.
The 36-year-old Spaniard, ranked world No.2, admitted he was ‘destroyed mentally’ as he suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in seven years as his wife Maria was spotted crying in the stands.
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Nadal has now provided an update on his nasty muscle tear injury and is set for up to eight weeks on the sidelines according to the prognosis on the injury – making him a doubt for Indian Wells at the start of March – although he will be able to return in time for the French Open.
“He will be resting once back in Spain and will start with anti-inflammatory physiotherapy,’’ Nadal’s team said in a statement with the tennis legend not due to come back to the ATP Tour until sometime in March.
“The normal time estimated for a complete recuperation is between six and eight weeks,” the statement from his team read.
The statement follows an MRI scan Nadal had on his left leg on Thursday which revealed the grade two injury in his iliopsoas muscle.
Nadal, speaking after his Australian Open exit, revealed that he did not want to retire through injury during his second-round defeat to McDonald.
‘‘I can’t say that I’m not destroyed mentally at this time because I will be lying,’’ Nadal said, adding: ‘’It’s hard for me.
“I considered it all the time, stopping. I just wanted to finish the match. That’s it. I didn’t want to retire, to be the defending champion here.
‘’I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement. I have been a couple of days like this [with injury]. But nothing like today in that movement.’’
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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