Rafael Nadal is still not ready to return to the ATP Tour, withdrawing Thursday from the upcoming Madrid Open due to a lingering hip injury.
A five-time winner of the ATP Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital, Nadal has not competed since suffering the injury in a second-round loss at the Australian Open in January.
“Unfortunately, the injury has still not healed and I can’t work on what I need to in order to compete,” he said in a video posted on social media.
Nadal, 36, previously withdrew from tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and is still hoping to be ready for next month’s French Open.
“The last few weeks and months have been difficult,” the Spaniard said. “As you know, I picked up a significant injury in Australia, to my psoas. First it was going to be a six- to eight-week recovery period, we’re in the 14th week and the reality is that the situation is not what we expected.
“In any case, I have followed the medical advice but the progress has not been as they told us at the beginning. We find ourselves in a difficult situation; the weeks are passing by.”
The 22-time Grand Slam winner said he recently changed course with his treatment but said he will not return until he is fit enough to compete.
“I can’t specify time periods because if I knew them I would tell you, but I don’t know. Given the current situation, I wanted to inform you,” Nadal said.
Action at Roland Garros gets underway on May 28. Nadal is the defending champion in Paris, where he is a record 14-time champion.
–Field Level Media
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