Tennis great Rafael Nadal shared a piece of news that broke the hearts of millions of his fans on Sunday, January 7 as he confirmed he was withdrawing from the Australian Open 2024, weeks after returning to competitive action after nearly a year-long break. Nadal said he made the decision after suffering a minor injury during his run to the quarter-final in Brisbane International, a season-opening ATP 250 event that ran from December 31 to January 7. However, the 2-time Australian Open champion came up with a reassuring piece of news, telling his supporters that he might not be out of action for long.

Rafael Nadal was out of competitive action for 11 months as the 22-time Grand Slam champion had not played since his second-round exit at Australian Open 2023. Nadal’s hip injury flared in Melbourne last year and he decided to undergo surgery to treat the issue. Nadal missed the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open while confirming that he would return to actio in 2024 and that it might be his last season on the professional circuit.

Nadal looked comfortable moving on the court and produced some incredible tennis in the first two rounds of the Brisbane International. However, in the quarter-final against local hope Jordan Thompson, Nadal was taken to the distance as the two men battled it out for 3 hours and 26 minutes. Nadal missed as many as 3 match points and needed a medical time-out for a problem with his upper leg during the third set of the quarter-final on Friday.

Nadal said on Friday that he was not 100 percent sure of participating in the Australian Open and that he would get a clearer picture after scans. On Sunday, Nadal said that the scans revealed a ‘micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury’ while confirming his withdrawal from the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.

NOT VERY BAD NEWS: NADAL

Nadal went on to explain that the latest injury setback is not very bad news and that he is hopeful of returning to action sooner than later.

“I have worked very hard during the year for this comeback and as I always mentioned my goal is to be at my best level in 3 months. Within the sad news for me for not being able to play in front of the amazing Melbourne crowds, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season.

“I really wanted to play here in Australia and I have had the chance to play a few matches that made me very happy and positive,” Nadal said.

Nadal had said before the start of the season that he lowered expectations and that he was hoping to find joy in competing again, rather than thinking about winning.

Nadal’s decision to pull out of the Australian Open seems to be a cautionary step, considering his eagerness to return to Roland Garros and be there for Spain during the Paris Olympics.

Nadal wouldn’t want to risk an injury concern, given the nature of his previous hip injury that kept him out of action for close to a year. The nature of Nadal’s injury was a troublesome psoas tendon in his left hip, which necessitated surgical intervention in June. His medical team, led by Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, anticipated a recovery period of approximately five months. He underwent a rigorous rehabilitation process, focusing on progressive functional rehabilitation to ensure a safe and effective return to the sport.