Rafael Nadal will miss the Barcelona Open, leaving him without another clay-court tournament to prepare for the French Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he had not fully recovered from a left hip flexor injury he picked up at the Australian Open in January. That knocked him out of the Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo tournaments also.
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“Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it is my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling,” Nadal said in a message posted on Twitter. “I still don’t feel prepared and therefore will continue with my preparation process to get back to competing.”
Nadal is gunning for a record 15th French Open title.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion — he shares the record with Novak Djokovic — had originally thought he would be out for up to two months.
He pulled out of hard-court tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, with his sights set on a return at the start of the clay court season.
His fitness problems have become an increasing issue since he won his 14th French Open crown last year.
He eased to victory against Casper Ruud despite having his troublesome left foot anaesthetised to counter the pain — he was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome aged 18.
He subsequently withdrew from his Wimbledon semi-final due to an abdominal injury.
His long absence from the circuit this time round has seen him drop out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2005 — he is presently ranked 15th.
The 36-year-old Nadal has won the Barcelona Open a record 12 times. His last victory came in 2021.
The French Open takes place from May 28-June 11.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Rafael Nadal will miss the Barcelona Open, leaving him without another clay-court tournament to prepare for the French Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he had not fully recovered from a left hip flexor injury he picked up at the Australian Open in January. That knocked him out of the Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo tournaments also.
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READ MORE: 'Never seen that': Legend stunned by monster hit
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“Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it is my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling,” Nadal said in a message posted on Twitter. “I still don’t feel prepared and therefore will continue with my preparation process to get back to competing.”
Nadal is gunning for a record 15th French Open title.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion — he shares the record with Novak Djokovic — had originally thought he would be out for up to two months.
He pulled out of hard-court tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, with his sights set on a return at the start of the clay court season.
His fitness problems have become an increasing issue since he won his 14th French Open crown last year.
He eased to victory against Casper Ruud despite having his troublesome left foot anaesthetised to counter the pain — he was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome aged 18.
He subsequently withdrew from his Wimbledon semi-final due to an abdominal injury.
His long absence from the circuit this time round has seen him drop out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2005 — he is presently ranked 15th.
The 36-year-old Nadal has won the Barcelona Open a record 12 times. His last victory came in 2021.
The French Open takes place from May 28-June 11.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
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