MELBOURNE: World number two Rafa Nadal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks by the hip flexor injury he suffered during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, the Spaniard’s team said on Thursday.
Nadal’s title defence ended bitterly on Wednesday as he slumped to a 6-4 6-4 7-5 defeat by Mackenzie McDonald, the latest chapter in a long history of fitness problems at Melbourne Park.
The 36-year-old had an MRI scan on his left leg in Melbourne on Thursday, which revealed a grade 2 injury in the Illiopsoas, the primary hip flexor.
“He will be resting the next days once back in Spain and will start with anti-inflammatory physiotherapy,” his team said in a statement.
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Rafael Nadal’s injury woes at Australian Open
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<p>Defending champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset on Wednesday.<br /></p>
This is Nadal’s worst Grand Slam result in seven years.<br /><br />
The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with what appeared to be a hip injury, slumped to a 4-6, 4-6, 5-7 defeat at Rod Laver Arena.<br /><br />
Defeat opens the door for arch-rival Novak Djokovic to draw equal with Nadal’s record 22 Slam wins.<br /><br />
Top seed Nadal was never settled and slumped a set behind before taking a medical timeout when a break down in the second set.<br /><br />
Nadal hurt himself stretching for a forehand and grimaced in pain.<br /><br />
Nadal battled on but was in clear discomfort with his movement hampered.<br /><br />
Nadal’s wife Mery was seen in the crowd in tears.<br /><br />
The last time Nadal fell so early at a Grand Slam was at the Australian Open in 2016, when he departed in the first round.<br /><br />
This is not the first time the 22-time Grand Slam champion has suffered a debilitating injury during a match at Melbourne Park.<br /><br />
In 2010, Nadal was forced to withdraw from his quarter-final against Andy Murray while trailing the Briton 3-6, 6-7, 0-3.<br /><br />
The knee injury kept Nadal out of competition for a month.<br />
In 2011, Nadal reached the quarter-finals, where he faced compatriot David Ferrer.<br /><br />
Although clearly hampered by hamstring injury sustained early in the match, Nadal played on and lost 4-6, 2-6, 3-6.<br /><br />
In 2014, Nadal reached the final and faced Stanislas Wawrinka but suffered a back injury during the warm-up, which progressively worsened as the match wore on.<br /><br />
Nadal lost 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6 and was out of competition for three weeks.<br /><br />
In 2018, Nadal was forced to retire in the fifth set from his quarter-final against Marin Cilic while trailing 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) 2-6, 0-2 because of a hip injury.<br /><br />
The injury kept Nadal sidelined for more than two months.<br /><br />
Nadal had created history on the same court last year with his five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final.<br /><br />
“The normal time estimated for a complete recuperation is between six and eight weeks.”
The 22-times Grand Slam champion arrived in Melbourne with only one win to his name since the U.S. Open after rib, abdomen and foot injuries kept him off court for much of last season after Wimbledon.
“I mean, hopefully it’s nothing too bad. In the end (it has) been three positive weeks in terms of practice,” he told reporters after his defeat.
“So I really hope that (injury) doesn’t put me out of the court for a long time, because then it’s tough to make all the recovery again.
“It’s not only the recovery. It’s all the amount of work that you need to put together to come back at a decent level.”
A six to eight week recuperation would allow Nadal to return well before the clay court season and the run-up to the defence of his French Open title in late May and early June.
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