TENNIS
Rafael Nadal withdraws from the Barcelona Open
The Spaniard has announced he won’t compete in the ATP 500 tournament, as he still hasn’t fully recovered from his leg injury.
He was expected to return to the courts at the beginning of the clay season, but his left leg’s recovery is taking longer than expected.
Tennis icon Rafa Nadal won’t feature in the Barcelona Open, a tournament he has won 12 times, as he feels he’s still not ready to play an official match.
The Manacor native hasn’t competed since losing in the Australian Open second round to Mackenzie McDonald due to a muscle injury in his left leg.
Nadal, tied to Novak Djokovic with 22 major titles, has missed Indian Wells, Miami, and the Monte Carlo Masters so far.
Nadal releases a statement on social media
The King of Clay addressed his fans on social media, explaining the reason why he will miss the Barcelona Open, also known as Trofeo Conde de Godó, one of his favorites throughout his career.
“Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it’s my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling”, he wrote on Instagram.
“I’m still not prepared, and therefore I’m still in my preparation process for the return to competition. Good luck to my friend [and tournament director] David Ferrer and his whole team for this edition of the Godó that will surely be a success as always on all levels”, he added.
Time is ticking, and Nadal will try to get to Roland Garros in the best shape possible but for that, he will need to get some competition rhythm first.
The 15-time winner in Paris will try to feature at least in one of the upcoming clay-court events before flying to the French capital.
After withdrawing from Barcelona, there will only be six more tournaments to be played in the calendar before the second Grand Slam tournament of the year starts, including the two Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome.