The 22-time champion of the Grand Slam made his highly anticipated return at the Brisbane International last month, where he advanced to the quarter-finals. The 37-year-old decided to withdraw from the 2024 Australian Open due to a hip muscle injury that occurred during his defeat to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane.
Before Brisbane, Nadal had not played a singles match in nearly a year — since his loss to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, where he suffered a hip injury. He underwent arthroscopic surgery in June 2023 to treat the psoas muscle in his hip.
Last year, the former world No 1 missed the French Open for the first time since 2004 as he had to delay his planned return from injury during the clay-court season.
Nadal had hoped to make his comeback from his most recent setback at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha next week, but he announced his withdrawal on Wednesday.
“I would have been thrilled to compete in Doha, where the tournament team, along with the incredible Qatar fans, have always provided me with tremendous support,” said Nadal in a post on social media.
“Unfortunately, I am not yet prepared to compete and I will not be able to attend Doha, where I truly wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable victory in 2014. I will focus on continuing to work in order to be prepared for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the incredible Indian Wells tournament.”
It is now anticipated that the Spaniard will make his next appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells next month, which will take place from March 3-17.
According to the Instagram account tennis_street, which shares the outfits worn by professional players, Nadal’s on-court clothing collection for Indian Wells has been finalized.
The 37-year-old tennis player will don a crimson shirt, shorts in a pale lavender hue, and ebony footwear adorned with white and rose accents. According to reports, Nadal may also wear this attire during the Miami Masters 1000 event, although it appears unlikely due to its close proximity to the commencement of the European clay-court season.
The 14-time winner of the French Open recently emphasized that his main focus is to arrive in peak physical condition for this year’s Roland Garros tournament.
“The disparity between what I want to play and what I will actually play is significant. My desired calendar will not come to fruition. Instead, it will be shaped by external factors,” he revealed in an interview with Cope.
“My aspiration is to participate in the clay season under acceptable circumstances, and today’s decision is geared towards that goal. I am referring to maintaining good health, rather than being competitive. There are numerous thrilling tournaments on clay, and I hope to partake in the one held in Madrid.
“I will compete to the best of my abilities while remaining realistic and keeping my ultimate objective in sight: to play at Roland Garros. I will take calculated risks to ensure that I can perform optimally at the tournament.
“This year is likely to be my final one, although I cannot confirm it with complete certainty. I will take each day as it comes and make a definitive announcement before Roland Garros. I am exercising caution for the next few months. As you know, unforeseen circumstances can arise, so I cannot make long-term plans after a year of absence from competition.”
According to the Source tennis365.com