Rafael Nadal May Miss the French Open

But as those tournaments began, Nadal’s name was missing from the draw, despite images he had posted on social media of his practice sessions. He pulled out of tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and on Thursday announced that he would not be able to play next week in Madrid. That leaves the Italian Open in Rome, which begins May 8, as the only major tuneup available ahead of the French Open. But that tournament also now seems in doubt.

“The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected,” Nadal said. “All medical indications have been followed, but somehow the evolution has not been what they initially told us, and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.”

Nadal’s current struggles are the latest in an 18-month battle with injuries that have plagued the twilight of his career. Initially he was able to overcome them and play some of his most startling tennis.

He returned from a flare-up of his chronic foot injury in late 2021 to win the Australian Open last year, then recovered from a cracked rib in time to win his 14th French Open.

At Wimbledon, though, an abdominal muscle tear forced him to default his semifinal match against Nick Kyrgios and to miss much of the summer. He returned for the U.S. Open, but was far from 100 percent and lost to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Then came the tear to the psoas muscle in Australia.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/sports/tennis/nadal-injury-french-open.html