Rafael Nadal withdraws his name from the upcoming Australian Open 2024 due to a fresh muscle tear on Sunday, January 7. The Spaniard's highly-anticipated return to court after a gap of almost a year was cut short after he suffered a defeat against Jordan Thompson at Brisbane International on Friday.
Nadal confirmed his decision to pull out from the first Grand Slam of the year with a Twitter post for the fans. He confirmed a micro tear on his muscles and his plans to get treatment back in Spain.
“Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried," Nadal wrote in his X post. "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. Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches. Therefore I am flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest."
Nadal, 37, returned to action after missing the majority of the 2023 season due to a knee injury he had suffered during the second-round loss at the Australian Open. He beat the former Grand Slam champion Dominic Thiem in his return game at Brisbane International and Jason Kubler in straight sets to mark a successful comeback from an injury.
But the 14-time French Open champion walked off with a fresh muscle tear after his loss against Thompson in the quarter-final. Nadal revealed his desire to play in the Grand Slam and added that he will return to action soon.
“I have worked very hard during the year for this comeback and as I always mentioned my goal is to be at my best level in 3 months. Within the sad news for me for not being able to play in front of the amazing Melbourne crowds, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season. I really wanted to play here in Australia and I have had the chance to play a few matches that made me very happy and positive. Thanks all for the support and see you soon!” Nadal added.
