Nadal quashes the rumors and explains what problem is preventing him from returning

Last Thursday the news was confirmed: Rafa Nadal will not play in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. “These are difficult times for me sportingly speaking. Unfortunately I inform you that I am not going to play in Monte Carlo. My body just does not allow me,” the Balearic player wrote in his social networks.

The lack of certainty in his words caused rumors to spread about what was the problem that prevented him from returning to the slopes. Hips, back… different theories began to circulate until this Saturday, when the tennis player himself explained what was happening to him.

“I have had stomach problems for two months now, since I came back from Australia.. I recovered quickly from the injury in Australia, and then, during training one day, I started having stomach discomfort and I was walking slowly. I can’t recover properly. We try things cautiously and that’s the truth,” said the champion of 22 Grand Slam titles at halftime of the Copa del Rey soccer final pitting his Mallorca against Athletic.

Despite everything, Nadal wants to leave a message of hope for the future. “I am not ruling anything out, neither in Barcelona next week, nor in Madrid”.

Nadal’s current ordeal with injuries stems from a serious injury he sustained to the iliopsoas in his left leg in her 2023 Australian Open 2nd round match against Mackenzie McDonald.

In search of solutions, Rafa finally underwent surgery in June and he gradually began his preparations to start the 2024 season normally. After a year off, manacorí reappeared in January at the ATP in Brisbane, also playing at a high level, but in his third match against Jordan Thompson he again felt discomfort in the same hip and, since then, the world of tennis had impatiently awaited his reappearance.

The confirmation of his defeats in the following tournaments is falling like a Malay drop in Nadal’s morale and, by extension, to all actors involved in tennis. One by one, Rafa has already withdrawn this year from the Australian Open, the ATP in Doha and the two Masters 1,000s on the North American tour. on hard court, Indian Wells and Miami.

In that situation, Nadal, who played only one exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas during this periodfocused his goal on being ready for the European season on clay, the most prolific time of the year for him with the culmination of Roland Garros, where he built an unparalleled legend thanks to his 14 titles .

However, when the time comes, Rafa is also not ready to play in Monte Carlo (April 7-14)., his usual first tournament on earth, another bad omen in the final stages of an outstanding athlete’s career. Nadal announced his withdrawal after undergoing a new medical examination in Barcelona this week.