The 2023 clay court season is well underway. However, there’s still no telling when Rafael Nadal, the ‘King of Clay’, will be ready for action. The 22-time Grand Slam winner recently withdrew from the Madrid Open. Following withdrawals from the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, fans were expecting to see Nadal back in action in Madrid. However, it seems like their wait is set to continue.

Nadal, who is 36 years old right now, is clearly struggling with the hip injury he sustained at the 2023 Australian Open. However, is this injury an indication of the aging tennis legend’s slowing powers of recovery? And could it force Nadal to pull the curtains down on his incredible career in a vein similar to his long-time rival Roger Federer?

What’s taking Rafael Nadal so long to return to action?

Nadal’s second-round match against Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open ended in a crushing defeat for the Spaniard. However, the huge margin of defeat for Nadal was a result of his injury, which he picked up during the match’s second set. Even though his team desperately called on him to stop playing, Nadal continued and finished the match.

After crashing out of the year’s first Grand Slam, Nadal would have hoped for positive news on the injury front. Unfortunately, scans revealed a grade-two left hip flexor muscle injury. Medical experts told Nadal that it would take him around 6 to 8 weeks to complete his recovery.

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Fast forward to his withdrawal from the Madrid Open, and it’s been 14 weeks out for the Spaniard. Over the course of these 14 weeks, Nadal’s slow recovery has forced him to withdraw from 4 tournaments so far. Nadal recently took to Twitter to share his situation with his fans. Worryingly for them, he did not reveal if they can expect him to show up for the 2023 French Open.

In the post, Nadal said, “We have followed all the medical advice, but my recovery has not gone as they said it would, and now we find ourselves in a difficult situation.” 

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The Spaniard’s fans will be hoping that his “difficult situation” doesn’t force Nadal to retire from tennis prematurely.

Is Nadal following in Federer’s footsteps?

When it comes to domination in tennis, the 2000s and 2010s belonged to rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The two were responsible for a rivalry that is likely to go down as the greatest ever in tennis history. However, it came to an end in 2022 as Federer retired.

Federer took the difficult decision to retire owing to an injury to the right knee he sustained in 2020. The Swiss maestro underwent multiple surgical procedures in an attempt to get back into action quickly. However, his rehabilitation was slow. He did make his comeback in 2021, but his knee problems kept recurring. Ultimately, Federer decided it would be best for him to call time on a truly magnificent career.

Only time will tell if Nadal is heading down a similar path. For now, though, let’s hope that the Spaniard recovers in time for his favorite Grand Slam at the Stade Roland Garros.

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