Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has announced that he will not be participating in this year’s Australian Open due to a muscle tear.
The 37-year-old made his comeback earlier this month at the Brisbane International after a year-long hiatus due to a hip flexor injury which required surgery.
Despite winning against Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, he lost to Jordan Thompson after failing to capitalize on three match points.
During the third set of the match, Nadal had to take a medical break and struggled to finish the game.
On X, Nadal provided an update about his condition and revealed that he has a micro tear on a muscle which is different from the one he previously injured.
Although he mentioned that he is not yet ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in five-set matches, he remains positive about his progress and is planning to see his doctor in Spain to get some treatment and rest.
Nadal expressed his desire to play in the Australian Open and thanked his supporters for their encouragement.
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Madison Keys, a two-time semi-finalist, also announced her withdrawal from the tournament due to a shoulder injury.
She stated that she had been advised by her medical staff to withdraw from the competition.
British tennis player Liam Broady also withdrew from the tournament due to an ankle injury.
Broady revealed that he has two bone stresses in his ankle which got worse during his match against Andrey Rublev in Hong Kong.
He stated that he got an MRI in Melbourne which confirmed his condition, and he decided to withdraw from the tournament to avoid any risk of fractures.
The Australian Open will take place from January 15 to January 28, 2024.
