Rafael Nadal withdraws from Australian Open with an injury

MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open, citing an injury a week before the Grand Slam event and after a year on the sidelines.

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Nadal said he was concerned that there was an issue with his hip that he had surgery on, The Associated Press reported. That came after his timeout in the third set of the Brisbane International quarterfinal, which he lost to Jordan Thompson on Friday.

“During my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried. Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news. Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest,” Nadal said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Nadal was expected to make a comeback following almost a year away. He had hip surgery in June, according to the AP. He also has a history of knee and foot issues.

He did win his first two competitive matches before he lost to Thompson, the AP reported.

“A lot of things can be happening in a body like my body after a year without playing tennis,” he said after the loss to Thompson, according to the AP. “So hopefully it is just that, just a muscle that is supercharged. If that’s the thing, perfect.”

“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,” he said. “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.”

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