Nadal to miss Madrid Open after recovery setback

Madrid, April 20 (BNA): Rafael Nadal, the Madrid Open champion next week, said he will miss the Madrid Open next week after a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury sustained at the Australian Open tennis tournament in January.

Reuters reports that Nadal skipped tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo as well as the current Barcelona Open after suffering an injury that effectively ended his title defense at Melbourne Park, where he lost in the second round at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald.

“In the beginning, the recovery period should have been six to eight weeks, and now we are fourteen,” Nadal said in a video clip posted on his social media accounts.

“The truth is that the situation is not what we expected. All the medical indications were followed, but somehow the development is not what they told us at the beginning and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.

“The weeks go by and I had the desire to be able to play in the most important tournaments of my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros and at the moment I missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Unfortunately, I will not be able to be in Madrid.”

While the Spaniard, a 14-time French Open champion who has dominated the clay court season for years, remains hopeful he will be fully fit for the Grand Slam tournament starting in May, his statement is not optimistic.

“The injury still hasn’t healed and I can’t decide what I need to compete,” Nadal said.

“I’ve been training, but a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things get better to try and get to what comes next.

“I can’t give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don’t know. That’s how it goes now.”

M