February 28, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Open due to an injury, according to a statement released by the tournament on Tuesday.
The Spanish tennis star began his season at the United Cup and was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open by American Mackenzie McDonald. Following his exit from Melbourne, the 36-year-old underwent medical tests and informed his fans of the results.
In a social media post in January, Nadal wrote, “The MRI shows a grade 2 injury in the iliopsoas muscle in my left leg. Now it’s time for sports rest and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time 6 to 8 weeks.”
Last year, Nadal made it to the final of the Indian Wells tournament, which is the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. The BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director, Tommy Haas, expressed his well wishes for Nadal’s recovery. “We wish Rafa continued healing, and hope to see him back at the BNP Paribas Open next year,” Haas said.
This announcement marks a setback for Nadal, who is currently ranked third in the world and was expected to be one of the top contenders for the title at the Indian Wells tournament. However, fans are hopeful that he will make a swift recovery and return to the court soon.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
