The ManicaPost
RAFAEL Nadal is set to miss the next six to eight weeks of the ATP Tour schedule after suffering a hip flexor injury during his shock Australian Open exit.
The defending champion looked in discomfort as he was beaten in straight sets by Mackenzie McDonald at Melbourne Park during the second round on Wednesday, with his 6-4 6-4 7-5 defeat the latest in a long history of fitness problems.
Nadal had an MRI scan on his left leg in Melbourne on Thursday, under his doctor’s supervision, which revealed a grade two injury in the iliopsoas muscle.
An update from Nadal’s team said he would return to Spain for a period of rest and treatment, with the normal recovery time for the injury from six to eight weeks.
“He will be resting once back in Spain and will start with anti-inflammatory physiotherapy,” his team said in a statement.
“The normal time estimated for a complete recuperation is between six and eight weeks.”
A six-to-eight-week recuperation would allow Nadal to return well before the clay court season and the run-up to the defence of his French Open title in late May and early June, although would make him a doubt for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells at the start of March.
How Nadal crashed out in Melbourne
Nadal was already in trouble at a set and a break down to unseeded McDonald when he crouched down in obvious pain clutching his left hip after chasing out wide for a forehand.
The world No 2 called for the trainer after limping through the rest of the game and headed off court for treatment, although continued despite limping around the court and his wife Maria crying in the stands.
Nadal managed to hold his serve until the 11th game, roared on by fans still believing he could somehow turn things around, but it was a case of when not if McDonald would find a way through and he soon polished off the win.
It was a hugely sad way for Nadal — the top seed — to exit the tournament, a year after his near-miraculous run to the title when he feared his career may have been over because of a chronic foot problem.
What next for Nadal?
The 22-time Grand Slam champion arrived in Melbourne with only one win to his name since the US Open after rib, abdomen and foot injuries kept him off court for much of last season after Wimbledon.
Nadal scrapped to a four-set victory over Britain’s Jack Draper in the opening round, despite being some way below his best, while defeat to McDonald was his seventh in his last nine competitive matches.
He cut a disconsolate figure following the match as he contemplated another period on the sidelines but the good news is it is not a more serious injury.
Speaking on Wednesday, Nadal said: “If I have to spend a long time again, then it’s super difficult in the end to be in rhythm and to be competitive and to be ready to fight for the things that I really want to fight for. Let’s see how the injury is, and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar.”
The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is the opening ATP 1000 event of the year, taking place from March 8-19, followed by the Miami Open from March 22-April 2. — Online.
