April 20, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal has jeopardised his own French Open preparations by announcing that he will not participate at the Madrid Open due to his ongoing injury concerns.
The Spaniard has already missed the Barcelona Open due to a muscle injury in his left leg that he sustained during the Australian Open in January. Nadal’s absence from Madrid raises concerns about his potential participation at the French Open, where he and world number one, Novak Djokovic, will be vying for an outright-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
Despite following all medical indications, the 22-time Grand Slam singles winner is still struggling with his injury. “The weeks are passing, and I had the illusion of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career, such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, and for the moment, I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. I will not be able to be in Madrid, unfortunately,” Nadal said in a video released on social media.
Nadal’s focus is now on returning to full fitness for the French Open, which begins on May 28. Ex-pro Justine Henin believes that Nadal will rely on his mental fortitude to come back from injury and win the French Open. “For sure, he’s giving the best he can to be prepared and ready to be at his best in Paris in a few weeks, but he knows the situation much better than us,” Henin said.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
