Australian Open 2024: Rafael Nadal withdraws due to a new injury!

With the Australian major only a week away, the 37-year-old Spaniard has withdrawn from the tournament. On Sunday 7 January, he announced via his social networks that he would have to withdraw due to injury.

When the Majorcan made his return to competition at the start of 2024, Rafa’s fans were full of hope, with stars in their eyes, that the ‘bull’ would return to the top. Today, however, they must be filled with doubt and sadness. Nadal announces his withdrawal from the Australian Open. “During my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried. Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news“, he explained on X (formerly Twitter). While he sees some positives, he does not want to take any risks. “Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest.”  So we’ll have to wait a little longer for the man with 22 Grand Slam titles to return to a major tournament. At least until the French Open, which is his main objective, and for which he probably doesn’t want to take the slightest risk.

A promising return

Absent from the courts since being eliminated in the 2nd round of the 2023 Australian Open by Mackenzie McDonald, Nadal had just made his comeback, almost a year later, on Australian soil. And the little he showed at the Brisbane tournament was more than promising. He still has enough in his racket to frighten and conquer. In the first round, Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem (7-5, 6-1), an opponent he knows well and who is struggling to get back to his best. In the second round, the ‘Bull of Manacor’ was even more convincing, sweeping aside Jason Kubler (6-1, 6-2). However, his adventure in Brisbane came to an end when he lost to Jordan Thompson in three sets (7-5, 6-7, 3-6). It was a match in which Rafa had several match points. The adventure ended with an injury and a withdrawal from the Australian Open. But as the Spaniard says, he remains “positive“, knowing that it’s less serious than usual.