Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, has announced that he will withdraw from the upcoming Italian Open in Rome due to an on-going hip injury. The Spanish player’s injury initially occurred during the Australian Open in January, which kept him out of action until the Monte Carlo tournament in April. However, he withdrew from that tournament citing the need for more recovery time. He also withdrew from the Madrid Open two weeks ago for the same reason.
Nadal is recognised as one of the greatest clay court players in history and has won 10 titles at the Rome Masters tournament. Despite his withdrawal from the Italian Open, Nadal has expressed that he is optimistic about his condition and that it has improved. The 36-year-old athlete has announced that he plans to compete in either of the two warm-up events in Lyon or Geneva before the French Open, which starts on May 28.
The decision to withdraw from the Italian Open marks the first time in 18 years that he has failed to rank within the top 10 in the world. With the French Open looming and no clay court matches under his belt this year, Nadal will be looking for a solid performance as he bids to win his 15th Grand Slam title.
Despite the potential challenges, Nadal believes that his injury has gifted him with the time he needed to rebuild his fitness and that his best tennis is still to come. It’s clear that the retired Spanish professional tennis player, Alex Corretja, agrees with Nadal’s outlook. Speaking recently, Corretja said that Nadal is “a very hard worker who always takes care of his body and prepares the best way possible.”
Although Nadal’s fans will be disappointed to hear about his withdrawal from the Italian Open, they’re sure to be rooting for him as he continues to focus on making a healthy recovery and competes in the upcoming French Open.
