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SPORTS Monday 8 January 2024
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Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open with a hip muscle

injury

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) 14 championships.
— Rafael Nadal’s come- “I have worked very hard
back from hip surgery is on during the year for this
hold after he withdrew from comeback and as I al-
the Australian Open with ways mentioned my goal is
an injury a week before to be at my best level in 3
the start of the season’s first months,” he wrote Sunday.
Grand Slam tournament. “I really wanted to play
The 22-time major cham- here in Australia and I have
pion said Sunday on so- had the chance to play a
cial media that medical few matches that made
tests he took in Melbourne me very happy and posi-
revealed a small tear in a tive,” Nadal said.
hip muscle and he would The Australian Open begins
fly home to Spain for treat- on Jan. 14 — the first time
ment. it is starting on a Sunday,
The 37-year-old Nadal has instead of a Monday —
won the Australian Open Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after missing a shot in his quarter-final match against Jordan Thomp- and, according to FanDuel
twice — in 2009 and 2022 — son of Australia during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Sportsbook, top-ranked
Jan. 5, 2024.
and his absence will leave Associated Press Novak Djokovic is favored
this year’s event without to add to his record totals
what had been expected Since arriving in Australia he might achieve during be fit for the clay-court sea- of 24 Grand Slam trophies
to be one of its main story to begin the season, Nadal the tour’s swing through son and the French Open, and 10 titles at Melbourne
lines. It was a year ago at sounded like someone low- the country. He made which begins in May and Park.q
Melbourne Park that Nadal ering expectations for what clear that his focus was to where he has won a record
hurt his hip flexor during a
second-round loss to Mack-
ie McDonald, then missed
the rest of the season.
Nadal had an operation in
June and his return to the
tour after nearly 12 months
away came last week in
Brisbane. After winning two
matches, the left-hander
took a medical timeout
during the third set of a
quarterfinal loss to Jordan
Thompson on Friday.
“Hi all, during my last match
in Brisbane I had a small
problem on a muscle that
as you know made me wor-
ried,” Nadal wrote Sunday.
“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.”
The former No. 1-ranked
player’s career has been
marked by a series of inju-
ries, including to his knees,
left foot and left wrist, per-
haps connected to his pun-
ishing style of play.
“A lot of things can be hap-
pening in a body like my
body after a year without
playing tennis,” he said.
The loss to Thompson was
Nadal’s third match in four
nights and lasted nearly 3
1/2 hours, following straight-
set victories over Dominic
Thiem and Jason Kubler.