Rafael Nadal is anticipated to be sidelined for between six and eight weeks with the damage he suffered on the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The Spaniard’s reign as champion at Melbourne Park ended prematurely within the second spherical with defeat by American Mackenzie McDonald.
Nadal pulled up immediately late within the second set and clutched at his left hip. He opted to complete the match after an off-court medical timeout however his motion was severely hampered.
The 36-year-old underwent a scan in Melbourne on Thursday morning that confirmed a grade two tear of his iliopsoas muscle.
An replace from Nadal’s staff mentioned he would return to Spain for a interval of relaxation and remedy, with the conventional restoration time for the damage from six to eight weeks.
If that timeframe proves appropriate, Nadal might additionally miss the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells initially of March however must be recovered in time for his favorite European clay-court swing.
He lower a disconsolate determine following the match as he contemplated one other interval on the sidelines however the excellent news is it isn’t a extra severe damage.
Speaking on Wednesday, Nadal mentioned: “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.”
