Rafael Nadal has had arthroscopic surgery for the injured left hip flexor that forced him to sit out Roland-Garros for the first time since he won the first of his record 14 titles there in his 2005 tournament debut.
Nadal's spokesman, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, said three doctors were involved in the procedure, which was taking place in Barcelona.
Perez-Barbadillo said he expected to be able to pass along information about the operation on Saturday, which is Nadal's 37th birthday.
READ MORE: Djokovic blasts 'disrespectful' Roland-Garros fans
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The Spaniard hasn’t competed anywhere since he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open on January 18.
Nadal's movement was clearly restricted for much of that match and he ended up with his earliest exit at any grand slam tournament since 2016.
An MRI exam the next day revealed the extent of the injury, and Perez-Barbadillo said at the time that Nadal was expected to need up to two months to fully recover.
He initially aimed to enter the Monte Carlo Masters in March on his beloved red clay, but he wasn’t able to play there, then subsequently sat out tournament after tournament, decreasing the likelihood that he would be ready for Roland-Garros.
Watch Roland-Garros 2023 from May 28. Every match ad free and on demand. Centre court coverage in 4K UHD on Stan Sport
Nadal announced during a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, on May 18 that he would need to miss this year's trip to Paris.
He said he would need to take an indefinite break from tennis — no matches and not even any practices.
And he added that he was not sure when — or, truly, if — he'll be able to return to the tour, but figures that next season will be his last before retirement.
Nadal is just 1-3 this season and has dropped seven of his last nine matches overall, dating to a fourth-round loss to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open’s fourth round last September.
Watch Roland-Garros 2023 live and free on 9now
Nadal is tied with Novak Djokovic for the men's record of 22 major titles.
Djokovic is competing at Roland-Garros — he moved into the fourth round with a three-set victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Court Philippe Chatrier — and is now four match wins away from pulling ahead of Nadal for the first time.
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 has had arthroscopic surgery for the injured left hip flexor that forced him to sit out Roland-Garros for the first time since he won the first of his record 14 titles there in his 2005 tournament debut.
Nadal's spokesman, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, said three doctors were involved in the procedure, which was taking place in Barcelona.
Perez-Barbadillo said he expected to be able to pass along information about the operation on Saturday, which is Nadal's 37th birthday.
READ MORE: Djokovic blasts 'disrespectful' Roland-Garros fans
READ MORE: Aussie gun's amazing feat, champ's world record demolition
READ MORE: Explosive Hawthorn twist 'cuts deep', says Lewis
The Spaniard hasn’t competed anywhere since he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open on January 18.
Nadal's movement was clearly restricted for much of that match and he ended up with his earliest exit at any grand slam tournament since 2016.
An MRI exam the next day revealed the extent of the injury, and Perez-Barbadillo said at the time that Nadal was expected to need up to two months to fully recover.
He initially aimed to enter the Monte Carlo Masters in March on his beloved red clay, but he wasn’t able to play there, then subsequently sat out tournament after tournament, decreasing the likelihood that he would be ready for Roland-Garros.
Watch Roland-Garros 2023 from May 28. Every match ad free and on demand. Centre court coverage in 4K UHD on Stan Sport
Nadal announced during a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, on May 18 that he would need to miss this year's trip to Paris.
He said he would need to take an indefinite break from tennis — no matches and not even any practices.
And he added that he was not sure when — or, truly, if — he'll be able to return to the tour, but figures that next season will be his last before retirement.
Nadal is just 1-3 this season and has dropped seven of his last nine matches overall, dating to a fourth-round loss to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open’s fourth round last September.
Watch Roland-Garros 2023 live and free on 9now
Nadal is tied with Novak Djokovic for the men's record of 22 major titles.
Djokovic is competing at Roland-Garros — he moved into the fourth round with a three-set victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Court Philippe Chatrier — and is now four match wins away from pulling ahead of Nadal for the first time.
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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