Rafael Nadal is once again on the sidelines after suffering a rib injury during the closing stages of the Indian Wells Masters earlier this March. The unexpected injury means that the Spaniard will not feature at this year’s Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. Nonetheless, the king of clay is anticipated to be ready for the French Open that begins on May 22 and former world no. 1 Chris Evert sees this in a positive light. She believes it will help the player recuperate before the second Major of the year.

Rafael Nadal in 2022

Rafael Nadal had remained on top of his game in 2022. The Spaniard had an incredible start to his 2022 season, winning his record-breaking 21st Major at the Australian Open earlier this year, thereby surpassing his long-time rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. His fans were on edge when he reached the finals of the Indian Wells Masters. Nadal played Taylor Fritz in the finals, however, he suffered a defeat in straight sets, his only loss this year. He suffered a rib fracture during his semifinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz and the injury aggravated during his final against Fritz in the Californian desert.

Chris Evert expresses her views on Rafael Nadal’s recovery

Chris Evert, a former world no. 1, has seen this break as a bonus for the Spanish player before he enters Roland Garros. Though the time frame of his recovery will shorten the duration of his training for the French Open, Evert feels it is a positive for him.

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Chris Evert, in an interview with Eurosport, said, “With his record this year, he has lost one match so far. I think this injury is a hiccup.” Evert believes that taking a rest will not affect Nadal that much. She emphasized, “He has a myriad, or an abundance, of experience and confidence from years. It is not only what happened three or four weeks ago. I don’t think the mental part will affect him. He has put his body through the mill the last 20 years and the more important thing right now is making sure that he is healthy, especially when you are playing three out of five sets.”

Having suffered a rib fracture in March, Nadal is expected to make a comeback at the Madrid Masters at the earliest. However, an exact timeline of his return is still to be known.

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It remains to be seen how quickly can Nadal recover from his injury to make a comeback on the tour.