The news we all dreaded to hear: Rafael Nadal is out of the Australian Open 2024. The 2-time AO champ has cited a micro-tear in his muscle as the reason behind him pulling out of the first Grand Slam of the season.
Nadal had returned to action just 5 days ago at the Brisbane International. The 22-time Grand Slam champion claimed two wins before bowing out to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinal. During the match, Nadal indicated to his box that he was in pain.
After the match, Rafael Nadal maintained that he’s still unsure if he’ll play in the Australian Open as he doesn’t know the severity of the injury.
Now, a couple of days later, it is confirmed that Nadal is not only out of AO, but his participation in the coming months is also uncertain.
However, the good news is that Nadal has not suffered a muscle tear at the same place he suffered an injury last year. Nadal said in his statement:
“I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury, and that’s good news.”
Now, with the Australian Open 2024 behind him, Nadal will not focus on his favorite slam, the French Open, where he is a 14-time champion. While the event is more than 5 months away, given his struggles with fitness over the last year, the champion will be aiming for a tournament already.
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