The currently injured Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal (31) has to take a longer break. The world number two in the rankings said Friday that he will be taking part in the Masters tournaments at Indian Wells, California (8th place). till 18. March) and Miami (19. March to 1. April) ab.
Nadal is still suffering from an injury to the right hip flexor that he suffered at his quarter-finals out at the Australian Open in late January,”I need to recover. A start at the tournaments in the USA is not possible,”Nadal wrote on Facebook. As a result, the number of tournaments Nadal can’t or won’t be able to participate in increases to eight (Basel, Paris, ATP Final, Brisbane, Australian Open, Acapulco, Indian Wells, Miami). Nadal wants to return to the tour for the clay court season at the French Open in Paris (from 27. May) he is aiming for his eleventh title.
Only shortly before the start of the tournament in Acapulco Nadal had returned to training, but, according to his own information, he felt a similar pain as when he left Melbourne. Last year he suffered from knee problems. Nadal can return to the top of the world rankings in spite of injury, should his permanent rival Roger Federer (Switzerland) be eliminated in Indian Wells before the semi-final.
Prior to Nadal, three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka had already cancelled his start in Indian Wells and Miami, while the Swiss still suffers from the consequences of knee surgery. Olympic champion Andy Murray (Great Britain) is not yet fit after his hip surgery and is planning his comeback for the lawn season from June. It remains to be seen whether the twelve-time Major Champion Novak Djokovic (Serbia) will return to the tour in the USA after his elbow surgery.