broken rib! Nadal will be out for up to six weeks!
Rafael Nadal has to pause longer. The Spaniard sustained a stress fracture in his rib area during the tournament in Indian Wells.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Mar 22, 2022, 03:38 pm
After his final defeat against Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells, Nadal complained of breathing problems on Sunday. Now the cause has been found: The Spanish matador sustained a stress fracture in the rib area during the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year. That means Nadal will miss the start of the clay court season in Monte Carlo. Participation in barcelona and Madrid are also up in the air at the moment.
The tennis year had started so well for Nadal, with 20 consecutive match wins. Only Taylor Fritz was able to end this series in the Indian Wells final. So far, Rafael Nadal has won three titles this season: at the preparatory tournament in Melbourne, then at the Australian Open and finally in Acapulco. The left-hander had already decided not to start in Miami this week before the injury was announced: Nadal wanted to prepare for the clay court season in peace.
Last year, Nadal was plagued by an injury that put him out of action for months. The successes at the beginning of the season were all the more surprising.
In Monte Carlo, Rafael will not meet Novak Djokovic again, who will only play his second tournament of the year there. Djokovic was not allowed to participate in the Australian Open or in the two tournaments of the Sunshine Doubles in Indian Wells and Miami. The Serb's only appearance so far ended in Dubai with a quarter-final defeat against Jiri Vesely.