- Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Barcelona Open next week
- This sparked concern about his alleged retirement plans
- He says that he will only play tennis when he is fully recovered
Following Rafael Nadal’s decision to withdraw from the Barcelona Open next week, there are concerns that he is contemplating retiring from tennis.
Nadal, who will turn 37 later this year, is nearing the twilight of a stellar ATP Tour career that has cemented his place among the best tennis players ever had.
However, a protracted spate of injuries in the past year and a half could hinder his plans to end his career as the player with the most Grand Slam victories.
The Spaniard has 22 Grand Slam victories but he is yet to play in any regular tournament after the Australian Open exit due to injury.
Since the 2022 US Open Nadal has only participated played eight matches which was partly due to a longstanding foot injury which he once said is nearly incurable even if he quits tennis.
Rafael Nadal Australian Open. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Nadal acknowledges that it has taken longer than anticipated for him to return to peak shape as he is now suffering from a hip injury which caused a lot of discomfort at the Start of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
He had earlier told his fans that he would be out of the court for eight weeks starting late January but he has been out of action for longer.
Puntodebreak.com. reports that the Spaniard’s delay is due to his slow healing and he is not taking chances.
“I am taking it week by week, I’m having tests to see the progress I am making from the injury. I haven’t talked much since what happened in Australia, but in Australia I had a big, big breakdown,” Nadal says.
He further explained that he tore his muscle and tendon in psoas which makes it a complex injury to treat and recover from.
With this knowledge, he says that he is wearing his patience hat now more than ever before.
“It was a very big tear in the muscle, I tore a little bit of the tendon. It is a very complicated place in the psoas, in all sports, but in tennis we get strength from there, so it is a slower recovery than we would like.
Rafael Nadal. Photo/ATP Tour
“We have no choice but to be a little patient; it is true that the calendar is passing and that I am no longer 20 years old, and after a year like the one I’ve been having, one gets tired, but I do what I can,” he adds.
The father of one spends 20 minutes a day at the court to ensure that his arm remains in top form. He also works out daily at the Rafa Nadal Academy to keep moving as he recovers.
What’s important for Nadal now is staying healthy and ready up to compete on clay hoping to defend his French Open victory.
Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open and the 2022 French Open having stayed off the court for over six months in 2021 due to injury.
However, his run for his 23rd grand slam at Wimbledon was cut short by abdominal pain.
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